Done In The Dark
by Cliapatra32
Summary: The past brings together two truly gifted people who are judged by the hands of prejudice. They lead seperate lives, but are really the same. Only time can tell when they will defeat the great force that stays between them. How will the truth of their surrounders be revealed, and when will the dark forces attack upon them? I know it sounds like a fantasy, but it's NOT okay?
1. A Small Reminder

AN: This is my first fanfic and my first crossover, so at least give it a chance. You don't need to go soft on me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plots and events. The Characters and settings both belong to the creators of Hey Arnold! and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

* * *

In a blue house with a small stoop and a brown door lives a family of four. There is a mother, a father, a teenager, and a toddler. This morning, the mother and father are watching their 15-year old daughter play the piano. As she plays, the toddler comes down the steps of the two-story house and stops in front of her father.

"Dad, take me to preschool." The toddler says in her high-pitched voice. Her father pays her no mind and swats her away with his hand.

"Listen girl, Olga's playing Beethoven's Minute Symphony." The father stated, his gaze unwavering.

"Isn't she so talented?" Her mother exclaimed, still watching the performance.

"But I'm gonna be late for preschool!" The toddler said.

"Yeah, whatever Olga." The father stated bluntly, still examining the performance.

"It's Helga dad, Helga!" The toddler desperately cried out, but her cries land on deaf ears. She trudged over to the door, grabbing her lunchbox on the way. She reached the door and turned to look back at her 'family'. "Bye." she said as she opened the door. The sound of a watch timer going off filled the air.

"One minute flat. That's my girl!" Helga's father exclaimed happily, side hugging his eldest daughter at the piano.

"I'm going to preschool!" Helga shouted at a last attempt for her family's attention, side stepping half way out the front door.

"Go play or something Olga." Her father muttered back as a response while waving Helga off without as much as a sideways glance, his unwavering gaze still on Olga.

So she left. As soon as she closed the door, the sky became dark and began to rain. Wearing a white short-sleeved shirt underneath a one-pocketed pink overalls that stopped at her knees and white and pink converse sneakers, she wasn't the least bit ready for the impromptu weather. Her long golden blonde pigtail that stuck out on either side of her head and the matching pink bow atop her head began to sag as the rain and her mood fell faster and harder. She walked the streets of Hillwood alone until she had to stop at a cross walk. No one paid any attention to the three-year old girl, who had one eyebrow and a frown, about to cross the road. Just as she was about to cross, a car sped past her through a puddle - and being only about three feet tall which caught Helga in the tsunami like wave the car created. Soaked to the bone, she crosses the street and turns around the corner past a dark alleyway. A large, brown, ominous dog runs towards her and grabs hold of her lunchbox. She tries to pull away, but the dog overpowers her and yank it out of her grasp, causing her to fall rear-end first into a muddy puddle.

Helga, now wet, dirty, robbed, and alone, can now see the hopeful glow of "Urban Tots". She sinks her head as she continues the trek down the sidewalk to he double wide doors, letting the cold daggers of the rain fall upon her. Abruptly, the shower of daggers end as a large shade appears over her head. Helga looks skyward, surprised tp see the sky was now a light green. _"What the...?"_ her thoughts stopped off by a very close voice.

"I like your bow." a boy next to her says. Helga looks back down at the boy.

"Hugh?" she asks. as she continues to watch him watch her, she notices his features. He wore a large yellow raincoat that covered his whole outfit, small chubby hands that were slightly larger than her own that were holding the green umbrella shielding them from the rain, but what threw her off was his small baby blue hat that rests upon his oddly wide head. His face held a kind smile, a button nose, and curious lively green eyes on the head that was not proportional to the rest of his body.

"I like your bow," he explains in a bold yet shy, patient voice." because it's pink like your pants."

With that the boy entered the designated facility and took off his overcoat, oblivious to the pair of soft blue eyes gazing at his back through the thin glass doors.

_"Today may not be so bad after all." _The girl thought.

And this is how trapped skeletons began in Hillwood

* * *

On a lone side of the road down a neighborhood, a pink house with a white door housed a mother, a father, and a daughter. The mother and father were on the first level of the two-story house, reading a book as their daughter lay on her bed inside of her room studying. People could label their family as the born winners with the quote, " your born a winner and you'll die a winner". The studious blonde, pigtail child was in example of the statement, taking the proud title of smartest kid in Retroville and no kid dared to challenge her.

"Mom." the blonde little girl began, " can I go to the park Me and Humphrey haven't gone all day." She then hesitantly glanced at her puppy, who was looking very stressed.

"Come here Cynthia, and bring the dog." her mother commanded, causing the four-year old toddler and her puppy to rush down the flight of steps nervously. They never got used to that tone of voice. She stopped in front of the couch, in front of the space that created from each parent on different sides of the couch, noses stuck on their own book.

"What are the chemical components of water and its common name? the woman questioned her, startling the girl in the process.

"One oxygen plus two hydrogen molecules, also known commonly as the Mickey Mouse Molecule due to its' structure." Cynthia answered confidently. Her mother rose her eyes just above the top edge of the book and used her dark green eyes to look at her daughter.

"You may leave."

"Good-bye Cindy." Her father's voice shyly broke out. Cindy opened the front door for Humphrey and waved at him before leaving out the door. He was always a shy man.

It was a preferably sunny day with only a big, fluffy clouds in the sky, the perfect weather for a green-eyed blonde child in a large pink shirt that slacks in the middle, blue jeans that end just above the ankles, and pink and white shoes and her golden brown puppy to play in the empty park. Cindy picked up a brown stick and threw it, signaling to her dog to go fetch it. He ran to where the stick was and brought it back happily, wagging his small tail and sticking out his tongue in delight.

"Good boy!" She exclaimed as she knelt to pet him. Then she looked next to her to find a rather large bolt. _"Hmm, the park doesn't need bolts, especially of this diameter and length." _she pondered. Humphrey barked, stripping her away from her thoughts and towards the puppy who was giving her a sad face. She smiled apologetically and slipped the large bolt into her pocket. "Come on boy," she said, picking up the stick again, "fetch!". After she threw the stick it flew over some bushes, Humphrey ran after it, barking madly as he went through the bushes.

The barking soon ceased, leaving silence.

Two minutes passed and Humphrey was yet to return, nonetheless make a sound. Cindy worriedly ran towards the bush until she heard growls. Not just Humphrey's, but another dog's growl as well.  
_  
"Probably just a stray."_ She thought as she walked around the bushes. There she found an interesting sight: yes there was another dog, but it wasn't a stray. Or really a _dog_ for that matter. It was made completely out of shiny metal, thin sheets as ears and scattering lights as a brain. The "dog" had his metal jaw in a tight hold on the other end of the stick, growling in determination. It then took its eyes off of Humphrey and on Cindy, giving off an examination light from head to toe. It's eyes lit up and it abruptly let go of the stick, knocking Humphrey over in the process. She screamed when it ran up and jumped on her, knocking her on the ground and underneath its sniffing nose.

"GODDARD!" Cindy heard a voice shout just beyond the bushes, where the dog jumped from her. She stood up to find a small boy a little shorter than her but probably older by a year.

"Bark! Bark!" Goddard barked happily to his owner.

"Puking Pluto, I'm so sorry! Goddard, what happened to the lugnut search?!" The boy asked his dog incredulously.

'She has a lugnut.' Goddard's screen read on the pop up screen underneath a thin layer of metal on his chest. Cindy looked from the dog to the boy, and noticing that he was interrogating his dog, and took this time to look over this new character. She noticed how his hair gave her a sudden interest in a chocolate ice cream swirl, and his red shirt had a Bohr's molecular model as the insignia. One thing she couldn't miss was the abnormal structure of his cranium, and how it housed intelligent blue eyes. His voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry about Goddard, he was looking for a lugnut, it looks like this." The boy said on a rush, shoving his hand in his pocket and digging out a familiar large bolt.

"Oh you mean this?" Cindy said as she extracted the same bolt she previously discovered out of its resting place in her pocket and laid it in her hand. Goddard's ran over to her and ate the lugnut from her hand as Cindy's eyes widened in surprise.

'Thank You' Goddard's screen read.

"Where- I mean how- Who built him?!" Cindy asked breathless.

"I did!" the boy responded, " I named him after my favourite scientist: Robert H. Goddard"

"You built him." Cindy replied skeptically.

"Yes, and a lot of other inventions." The boy stated defensively.

"Yeah right, and I' Dorothy. This right here is my dog Tito," she pointed to her puppy." and were looking for the Wizard Of Oz." She finished in a sarcastic innocent voice.

The boy looked at her incredulously before asking, " Who are you anyway?" angrily.

"You haven't heard of me or my mother? You must be new around here so I'll tell you. I am Cindy A. Vortex, the smartest kid in Retroville. Cindy stated knowingly. " And you are?"

" Well, I am Jimmy Neutron and I bet I'm a little smarter than you. Not to brag or anything, but I did build Goddard." The boy named Jimmy boasted.

"JIMMY!" The two children heard a man shout beyond the bushes. Jimmy's dad appeared looking worried. "Jimbo, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! Who's your little friend?" he asked pointing to Cindy. Before she could answer, he continued. " Nevermind. Jimbo. it's getting late. We should be heading home."

"Okay dad." Jimmy said and began walking away with Goddard until he realized something. "Hey Cindy?"

"What?" Cindy spat.

Jimmy ignored the tone of her voice and continued with his question. "Are you here alone? Where are your parents?" This caught Jimmy's father's attention. Now that he thought about it, he didn't see another adult in the park.

Cindy became nervous. "Oh, uh, my mom is... is..." she shifted her eyes frantically as if searching for an answer. Finally she gave up. "I'm here by myself." She said defeated.

"What?! Oh, well we could walk you home." Jimmy said shyly and nervously.

"No, it's probably too far from where you live anyway," she said, angry at herself for showing so much weakness. " Neutron.".

"You never know, Vortex." Jimmy said while going along with her "Neutron" comment. " Where do you live?"

"Like I would tell you" she replied defensively.

"You know, you could always walk the dark streets of the city, you know, _alone_." Jimmy said, making sure to emphasize that she will be alone. Cindy's eyes widened in realization and fear as she looked and sidestepped towards her puppy, who had been silently observing this whole confrontation between the two kids.

"3121 Mulberry Lane." Cindy answered softly and dejectedly.

Mr. Neutron laughed, "That's right across the street from us!" By now, both Jimmy and Cindy's eyes were as large as saucers. "Come on," he continued with a smile, "we'll make sure you get home safe and sound."

Cindy thought of this. _"I can't keep doing this! Okay, one walk without my mother knowing and I'll be fine."_ "Alright, but on one condition."

Jimmy eyed her questionably. "Okay, what?"

"You guys have to leave me to cross the street when we pass the Candy Bar and when I get to my home, you just pretend I'm not there." The two men eyed her skeptically. "Please?" she pleaded.

"Alright. Now let's go. Both of your parents are worrying about you I bet." Mr. Neutron said.

As they walked Mr. Neutron, or Hugh as Cindy later learned was his name, told stories of how he used to wander his hometown as a lad. The kids with their respective dogs on either side of Hugh listened intently to the stories. "Yup. Hillwood was one small town with some large adventures. The tales passed down from kid generation to kid generation, the annual Cheese Festival..."

"A cheese festival?! Wow it must have been a very small town." Cindy interjected,

"Oh it was and still is I'm sure." Hugh continued. "But all the fun I had there with my group of friends, all 21 of them."

"Twenty one?!" Both kids exclaimed.

"Yup. And none of us were the same in any retrospect. We were all our own people, friends with people who were the total opposite of us. Take my two closest friends, Miriam and Miles for example."

"Miriam?" Cindy said suspiciously.

"Yeah. She was like the shy and quiet sister I never had. She didn't have much ability to defend herself or enough confidence and pride to not follow a path. That's why I let her stick with me and Miles."

"How was Miles?" Jimmy asked.

"He was a character for sure. Always daydreamed with his head in the clouds and that sometimes made him a jinx."

"A what?" Cindy asked.

"Someone that's accident prone, but he wasn't as much of a jinx as this boy name Herbert. He'd get in an accident everyday. Some were so unbelievable you'd thought he was really hurt or no human could survive that, but nope, he was always fine. in the end."

"Back on to Miles dad. What else was he like?" Jimmy questioned.

"He was very optimistic. He never saw the downside to anything! Whenever his best friend Martin would ask ,' Man why do you always look on the bright side?', Miles would just say,'Somebody has to.'. He wanted to be an adventurer and see the world."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Cindy asked, completely oblivious to the fact that they passed the Candy Bar half an hour ago.

"Well, I do have one last letter from Miles that he sent to me over three years ago. Apparently, Miriam has a 12- year old and a newborn, but they are probably 15 and four by now."

"Don't you mean three?" Cindy asked.

"No. They never cared to get the real date from the hospital, so they just celebrate her birthday when they have an idea of when it is. the sad thing is that the little girl is so confused she can only think that she is three."

"Wow. That is sad"

"I heard she had twins from two different men, but the one who came became infuriated because of one reason or another that he took the baby he thought would be easier to break and manipulate and kept it while forcing the mother to give the other baby up for adoption. Miles was there and couldn't believe the father, some beeper clerk. Anyway, the mother was refusing to give up the baby unless he came up with a **real** good reason to give her up. The man said something really harsh but somewhat honest and his wife had to give up the baby."

The whole time, both kids were looking astonished at the man. "So she gave up her baby? Just like that?" Cindy asked, her eyes on the brink of tears.

"Yeah and what did the jerk say?" Jimmy asked angrily.

"Miles said it was too hurtful for him to write and he wished he had never heard it in the first place. And the baby wasn't put in adoption, but she wasn't kept either."

"So what happened to her?" Cindy asked desperately. They were walking down the road in their neighborhood, slowing their pace only a little every minute to listen to the story.

"I don't know. No one knows. All we know is that there is only one child in the Pataki household."

"Wow, that's quite an ending." Cindy stated.

As Hugh nodded sadly, Jimmy interjected, " Wait, you never told me about Miles. What else was in his letter?"

"Now Jimmy," Hugh said," that is a story for another day.

"Why?"

"Because we're on our street and I want this little missy" he put a hand on Cindy's shoulder, "to hear the rest of the story as well."

Cindy looked at him questionably for a moment, then gasping at realizing that she was not even two feet away from being within viewing distance of her house. "Oh my gosh! I have to go, thanks Neutron!" she said quietly before sprinting to her house with her puppy right on her heels. Cindy entered her house, softly closed the door, and slumped to the ground with a sigh of relief. Her relief only made her oblivious to the ominous shadow above her.

"Cynthia, where have you been?" an angry and commanding voice that belonged to the object creating the ominous shadow that overpowered her stated. Cindy looked up to see her mother towering over her with her arms crossed.

"I lost track of time mother." Cindy shyly and softly stated, cowering next to her puppy. Her mother always carried a strong aurora wherever she went.

Sasha looked at her daughter skeptically, as if she knew the truth. She then softened her gaze to almost pitiful. _" Why would I need to bo pitied?" _ Cindy asked herself. "Alright. Now eat, shower, and go to bed. You do have school in the morning.".

"Yes mother." With that, Cindy walked over to the table and ate her dinner. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother looking out the window and out across the street. That night Cindy went to bed and looked out her window, only to look right into the bedroom of the boy she had just met that day. He was sleeping in what looked like a curled up ball and surrounded by the metallic items whose shine improved in the moonlight and decorated his room.

_"Today wasn't so bad after all. Thank you Neutron"_

And this is how trapped skeletons began in Retroville.


	2. Sorry! Skip This Teaser!

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	3. More Than A Sign

I apologoze about "GERMANY" it would not go away. I never meant to make a teaser chapter. Uh, I hate those.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plots and events. The Characters and settings both belong to the creators of Hey Arnold! and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

* * *

9 years later...

A thirteen year-old teenager is walking down the streets of Hillwood to the local mart with her best friend of ten years. Helga G. Pataki had changed just as much mentally as she had physically. Her hair were still put up in pigtails, but less gravity-defying thanks to a nice grey beanie that covered her once dominating pink bow ( no one but Phoebe knew the value and where it disappeared to.). She grew some more over the years and, although no longer taller than most of the boys in the gang, was impressively tall for her age. The pink dress with the one red stripe had become too short to be called a dress yet too long to be called a shirt, so it was worn over a pair of boot-cut blue jeans and pink-white converse sneakers. Even though she was no longer known as the ugliest girl in the bunch since she had grown into her nose but still low on the ladder because of her unibrow, Helga was still feared by others who knew of her past and her power. Dr. Bliss, Helga's child shrink, had helped her to mellow down some, and find other ways to vent out her anger. Ever since, Helga had become a little more of an easier person to be around.

As the two were walking, a conversation was soon picked up.

"So Helga, how did your assignment with Sid, Stinky, and Betty go?" Phoebe asked. Betty Quinlin was new to Hillwood. She had just moved with her parents in the middle of the school year and practically pulled a 'Lila', since the real one moved once her father got back on his feet. She was nice, sweet, smart (somewhat), beautiful, and thus instantaniously becoming popular. Her shoulder length brown hair and simple wink ( white + pink ) dress drove most of the male popultion crazy in admiration and most of the female population crazy with envious rage, but she always seemed to enjoy the attention. A little _too_ much if you ask Helga.

"It was actually going well until 'The Perfect Sequel' had to whine and complain about how painting the landscape for Modern Hillwood was going to ruin her dress. Of course those two numbskulls obeyed her every commands with a bat of her fake eyelashes, giving her an A when she never even lifted a fake nail. It was ridiculous Pheeb's." Helga replied. Pheobe, the small Asian American who befriended Helga after she defended Pheobe from bullies in preschool, is five feet tall, only four inches shy of Helga's height. Her blue sweater that covered her dark blue skirt in fourth grade was now a baby blue short sleeved shirt that showed the proffesional type navy blue skirt and black flats. Thin, rectangular glasses which rimmed her dark chocolate brown eyes gave an authoritative and intelligent look to her while her soft, round face and shoulder length jet black hair resembled a shy, patient soul with not much to say. The two girls entered the store and Helga grabbed a basket from the doorway as she began collecting fruits, meat, and snacks, all the while talking to Pheobe aminently.

"Maybe she is not given enough attention at home and instead tries flirtatious tactics to gain the wanted sight of direction from her fellow peers." Pheobe ranted while Helga rolled her eyes.

"Or, she just likes being on top of the 'Hook Chain'." Helga said. Pheobe had a look of confusion and curiousity on her face.

" The 'Hook Chain', Helga?"

"Yeah." Helga looked back to see the confused face of her shopping companion and sighed. She darted her eyes around before beginning. "The 'Hook Chain' is an unspoken ladder of attraction and femininity upon the female population. Only girls know about it because guys don't have a clue. I would say more, but we're in a public place, so we will have to finish this conversation later." Helga whispered as she loaded her items onto the self scanner and preparead to purchase them.

"Alright Helga, how about a sleepover tonight? There are only two weeks left of school and we don't have much time to spend together, thanks to my three month trip to Japan." Phoebe whispered back. It was true, there wasn't much time remaining for the two girls to spend together. Pheobe would be going to visit family for a huge family reunion, a fencing championship, and an Academithon. She only had a few days of summer in Hillwood up until the week before highschool.

Helga smiled and replied in regular volume, "That would be just peachy Pheob's. Tonight at your place." Helga paid for her food and walked out with Pheobe. A little ways later, Helga and Pheobe parted ways with Helga agreeing to be at Pheobe's house by 7pm. When she entered the house, it was dark and quiet. Helga's home life had never improved but was slowly seeming to be getting worse over the years. Ever since her older sister Olga had married and rarely visited, usually unexpectedly nowadays, her parents just seemed to be drowned in their own world. Miriam's 'special smoothies' were lacking more and more fruit, while Bob had started to work later and later days. He began his own alchohol cabinet filled with all types of whiskies, taquilas, and beer, and had put a lock on it to make absolute sure **nobody** messed with it. It was even protected with a bulletproof glass, which Helga found it funny how he could pay for that instead of a new lock to replace the broken one on her bedroom door. She found it an alluring case as to why Bob was out so late when his emporium closed at six. At first, the idea of him cheating on her mother came to mind, but it was soon put to rest when he was brought back home by an officer who caught him driving drunk. Even when Olga was there, they would slip up sometimes by forgetting to cover the beer cabinet or Miriam about to make a smoothie, but stopping and claiming to be going on the new fruit diet. All of this made Helga want to spend less and less time with her family, that is why now she just runs up the stairs and into her room without a word.

Finally out of the unbearable prison she called a home and into her one sanctuary of her room, Helga dropped her backpack down with a 'thump' beside her bed. Her room changed as she changed, for the dolls were gone and the walls were covered in sketches she had made. There were many that showed darkness or depression that were all over the walls, but if one looked up, they would see stars that played with the happy faces of a child's laughter who would make you feel just enough peace to sleep in the dark. She now had two double-leveled bookshelves and a beanbag chair in the back of her closet, which held seventeen green books (ever since she lost volume 5, she became a little paranoid with her peotry and put a green bookcover over the pink books.) and seven balck books. Helga's mind held more emotions than just love, and Dr. Bliss had instructed her to try writing to vent out her strong dislike of her family (Dr. Bliss never used the word 'hate'.).

Helga picked up the latest black book, turned to the next empty page, and began to write.

_The maiden in the shadows  
whom is left upon a log  
left in the midst  
and covered by fog_

None can hear her  
for silent saint's cries  
are nothing in the dark  
tis the morning rise

Only pulled back  
to the murky shore  
when disease has struken her  
deep within her core

The icy grip  
of death itself  
could not release the  
from upon self wealth

Cold, rusted shackles  
wrapping her all day  
pain it inflicts silently  
with each generous pay

In amidst a holed key  
her shackles undo locks  
since she is only standing free  
inside Pandora's Box

"I swear, one of these days I will get discovered. Hopefully, this won't be my ticket to the looney bin." Helga said, re-reading her poem before setting the book down and picking up her latest green book. Just when she was about to write, a thought disrupted her. _"Where in the world is Miriam?"_ She went out of her room and down the hall, but stopping at a soft sound. _"What is that?" _she thought. Helga silently moved slowly towards the sound, which she depicted was coming from her parents's room. The sound became clearer and was now recognized as soft sobbing, which made Helga push open the slightly cracked open door to see better. The room was dark except for the light of the hallway that allowed some visibility. A slump figure on the floor was sitting on the left side of the king sized bed, paralell to the door. He mother's form shivering and heaving soft wimpers can be seen by the narrow light eluminated by the hallway. "Miriam?" she asked worriedly.

Miriam became stiff, not moving a muscle at the concerned voice of her youngest daughter. Sniffling and wiping her eyes with alternating hands, she responds, "Helga, I didn't hear you come in."

Helga heard the quiver in her mother's voice and cautiously continued, "Are you alright? What happened?". She began to step closer, but her mother raised her hand in silent protest of her action.

"Yeah, it's nothing." Miriam answered with a new affirmation, She was still looking away as her hands rushed to gingerly shove whatever it was she was looking at back in it's resting place and put it back into hiding. Observing all of this and now a little curious, Helga continued with a hint of suspicion.

"Are you sure?"

Miriam finally stood up and turned around to look at Helga. Her eyes were somwhat puffy and strained, as it she had been doing this for hours. Her nose we red from irritation , her hair was all out of place, and her face was tear-stained. In short: Miriam Pataki was a mess. Nonetheless, she gave her faughter a shaky but reassuring smile and her eyes that weren't sad or chaotic, but joyous. "Yes honey, i'm fine. Now, what is there anything you wanted?" she answered in a clear voice. A voice Helga hadn't heard scince her mother was the "Beeper Queen".

"Just wondering wear you were, that's all!" Helga said in a rushed, hgih pitched voice. _"No reason to put her down like that."  
_  
"Alright, Well dear, no you want ot help with dinner?"

* * *

Meanwhile in Retroville...

A 13 year-old girl is walking down the sunset-lit streets of her neighborhood. Cindy Vortex didn't change unless it was natural. Her mentality made her more mature, while her physical appearance took it's necessary turns. She now wore a white cardigan over the same outfit she had worn for the past two years. Her blonde hair was in a loose, messy ponytail that bounced as she lethargically walked along a similar group of teenagers to their respectful homes. Two of the teens that were pulling strings which were farther than the other three shared the same exhausted and angry looks as they walked down their neighborhood.

"What provoked you to increase the size of the common cold virus to human proportions?" Cindy lividly asked the boy next to her.

"I told you Vortex, I wanted to see if a larger mitochondria would make the vaccine for the common cold more powerfull during use." he replied just as angrily. Jimmy Neutron had changed like Cindy and most kids his age, getting something new and improving in one thing or another. Mentally he was still a genius, but even someone who truly knew Jimmy's normal behaviour couldn't see the more crucial mental change that was going on. He needed a new wardrobe since his sudden growth spurt over last summer vacation( which made him as tall as Cindy and flushing all short jokes down the crapper), so the red t-shirt with a large insignis on it, blue jeans, and red shoes became a black shirt with a small atomic insignia on the upper left hand corner, longer blue jeans, and blue shoes with the same insignia imprinted in the corner.

A spikey-haired Mexican-Ameican sporting a purple Ultra Lord t-shirt over light blue jeans and black sneakers piped up from the back. "Well if it wasn't for Carl touching all of the control buttons, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Sheen exclaimed. He BARELY changed. On the outside he was a tall fourteen year old boy who looked like he was wearing a shirt that looked inappropriate on him, but on the inside, he was still a giddy nine year old who reminses over shared memories of the past.

The accused boy across from him replied." But Sheen, we all know you were the one who pressed the release button." he stated mettter-of-factly. Carl Wheezer became thinner around the waist, but only a small amount. He had begun working out for some tme a day after one health class, but he was still getting used to heavy lifting and hard work. The quiet, shy guy was starting to earn more backbone and speal up for himself more.

"Oh was I?" Sheen retorted.

"Yes." the other four teens chorused.

"Oh."

Jimmy piped up again. "Seriously Sheen, by now you should be mature enough to not touch anything shiny you see."

"And you, Jimmy, you should be smart enough to know that I always touch the shiney things."

"Let's just hurry up and get these things in Jimmy's yard before sundown. I'm tired and I want to go home to take a much needed shower." Libby said. The African American teen had her black braids were held back by an army green headband. Her snug lily green shirt contrasted nicely to her dark magenta skirt that stopped only a few centimeters from her knees. While Jimmy was the genius, Cindy was the one who put people in their place, Sheen was the eccentric shameless one, and Carl was the nice guy, Libby was the peacekeeper of them all. Without her control, the group may not have been together this long.

The teenagers were finished placing the heavy bundle next to Jimmy's lab and went there seperate ways. As Cindy walked off across the street, she felt like something was wrong for reasons she couldn' t understand. Entering her home drenched in sweat and tired from the 'afterschool special', Cindy goes to the ridge to find some food,but only finds a note:

Dear ladies,

I am working late tonight, so don't wait up for me.

Tom/Dad

Cindy sighed and opened the refridgerator to see it completely empty. She starts up the stairs towards her mother's room and was about to open the door, until she hears soft weeping going off behind it. As something graced her leg, she looked down to find her dog eyeing her worriedly. She cautiously opened to doorjust enough so a small slit of light will shine through. Illuminated by the hall light, Cindy could see a slump figure heaving unevenly on the right side of her parent's king sized bed. It's lavender dress had matted black hair flailing out of a purposeful tight bun and it's head was hung low. Cindy knew who it was, but she couldn't nor didn't want to believe it. _ "This couldn't be my mother, could it?"_ although she knew the answer. "Mom?"

The figure became stiff at Cindy's voice, but she persisted at barely a volume above a whisper. "Are you alright?"

Sasha turned around to face her daughter. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy from hours of labor, leaving her face slightly pale and tearstained. A quivering forced smile was on her face, but the look of joy and a hint of pity showed through her eyes. "Hey Cindy, I didn't hear you come in. When did you get here?" She asked sternly through teary eyes.

"I just got here." Cindy answerd, a little nervous at her mother's sudden shift in mood.

"How come?". The same irritation was back in her voice.

"Neutron enlarged the common cold virus to human proportions and it escaped on a raging stampede throughout Retroville." Cindy spat. Sashe's nose then flared and narrowed with her eyes at the mention of the young boy. She turned back to close whatever it was she was looking at previously and hid it back before standing up, facing her daughter in full body view.

"What do I continue to tell you about involving yourself with the likes of the Nuetrons?" She said the last name lividly.

"But mom-" Cindy attempted to argue, but was soon cut off by her mother.

"But nothing. I don't want you messing around with that boy or his family in any sort."

"I am not 'messing around' with him!" Cindy angrily exclaimed with red cheeks before she slapped a hand over her mouth. Her and Sashe shared the same wide eyes look until Sasha's eyes narrowed gaze held such a strong force it made Cindy's face pale as she cowared in fear.

"To your room, Cynthia."

Cindy heard the restsraint in her mother's voice very clearly, but also something she never thought she would hear in her mother' s strong demanding voice. _"weakness"_ she whispered in her mind. Cindy began backing away from the door, all the while watching her mother stretch her muscles with closed eyes. For a moment, anyone who didn't know the first thing about Sasha Vortex would have suspected her of being a naturing and gentlel mother, but when she reopened her eyes, all of those thoughts would change as the only one left was saying 'RUN!'. Cindy and Sasha met eyes and for a split miilsecond, not even a half a second, Cindy saw a gentle sorrow that was soon bombarded by the usual anger. Without a second's heesitation, Cindy made her way to her room with her dog and waited until she heard Sashe walked downstairs to speak again.

Cindy turned toward her dog with a look that was a mixture of worry and curiosity," What was so bad that made my mother cry?"


	4. Where The Friends Come In

Did you enjoy that chapter? If so or not, please review (comment).  
Disclaimer: I am not Craig Bartlett or John A. Davis

* * *

That night, Helga told her mother about her sleepover with Phoebe and was out the door.

"Tell her I said hi." she requested, still in her sober, shy voice.

So now here she was in her best friends room after arriving at her front step a few minutes ago. The two girls had movies and snacks thrown about the spacious room, two pillows were across the room from each other, and they were now facing each other.

"And then she said, 'Helga, you can be the bad witch while I will play the good witch', and I replied, 'You can't be a good which if you there's nothing good about you, bucko.'. Man Phoebe's, you should have seen how she stomped out of their like a toddler not having her way." Helga finished with a laugh. "Thanks for letting me come over, but I thought you wanted to go to Rhonda's party?". Like earlier times before, every girl in the eighth grade class was invited to one of Rhonda Lloyd's 'Sleepover Extravaganza'. Everyone, that is, excluding Helga. Rhonda's standards stayed the same for everyone, but Helga always had to get the highest of them all.

"No way! Not after the way she told that horrid rumor about you. It almost tore our friendship apart." Phoebe said with a melancholy look on her face.

"Yep," Helga said with sarcastic remorse, "just like her one-of-a-kind Johnny Fetches silk teal blouse." she ended with a victorious smirk as the images of Rhonda on her large bedroom floor, holding the shredded pieces close to her chest, cradling herself calm played over her eyes.

They sat in a content silence. A flash of worry and sadness cross her once joyful features, but even though she tried her best to repress it, the silently observant Phoebe caught it at the last moment.

"What is wrong, Helga?" The tone was more commanding than inquisitive.

"What do you mean?"

"Helga, I saw that look on your face."

"What look? I don't know what you're talking about." Helga quickly stated absently, though the nervousness in her voice did nothing but raise her companion's suspicion.

"Helga is this about... 'ice cream'"

"No." She stated defensively, but Phoebe's stern face and crossed arms showed that she wasn't convinced in the least. With a loud (overexaggerated if you ask me) sigh, Helga began to explain her worries.

"I go home earlier today to find the usual, you know, an empty house. So I go upstairs to have some private time, but I hear this sound down the hallway. I go down the, trace the source of the foreign sound to my parent's room, and open the slightly cracked door (and I have to admit this) to the most horrifying sight I could have ever imagined."

Totally enraptured in the story, Phoebe leans forward in and asks just above a whisper, "What?"

In the same tone of voice, Helga responds. "Miriam crying."

Gasping shortly, Phoebe continues, "Miriam? I knew she seemed unhappy most of the time, but to the point of crying? What triggered her to be that depressed?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. Whatever it was didn't make her cry tears of depression, but tears of joy! I-I don't understand. Whatever it is, it was small enough to be put back into the small chest underneath her bed and keep her sober. ALL DAY."

Phoebe lowered her head in deep thought for a few minutes, until a bright but mischievous smile graced her soft, small face. Helga notices this, and suddenly the same sly grin was placed on her face.

"Are you thinking, what I'm thinking?" Helga asked. Phoebe whispered something in her ear and Helga's smile grows wider. "Man Phoebe's, that's even better than what I was thinking."

* * *

The second story lights of the Vortex house were illuminated by two teenagers having a sleepover while the young blonde's parents watch television in the downstairs livingroom. The two were are having a conversation on the bed in the pop music filled, pink (complete overload in my opinion) room.

"I still don't understand how you or anyone can stand that Lila girl. She is a complete fake, just like Betty was." Cindy complained before taking a worried and concerned look on her face for a moment. Libby, being the best friend, catches it at the last moment.

"Okay girl, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Cin, I saw that look on your face."

"What look? I have no idea what you're talking about." She tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but a cross-armed, half-lidded, side-necked Libby wasn't buying it.

"Is it about...him?" Libby asked quietly.

"Who's him?" Cindy asked, a slight nervousness in her voice. Libby rose an eyebrow in knowledge, for she was the only one ( in this story, ONLY Libby knows the truth about Cindy) who knew what it meant.

"Girl, you now who I mean: 'him'"

"No." Cindy says in a solid tone. Libby gives her a 'I know your lying' look, which was followed by Cindy's sigh of defeat.

"Remember yesterday evening when we were finished helping Neutron clean up his mess?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well I went home and the place was silent. Like, dead silent. I go to the fridge to find it empty and a note from my dad, but that's not important. So after I read the note left by my father, I start my way upstairs when I hear a very unconstitutional noise down the hall. I follow it to my parent's room, open the slightly cracked door, and..."

"And what, Cindy?" Libby asked, completely immersed in the story. Cindy hung her head low before she looks up with fear in her eyes.

"I saw something that I never thought I would see. Something more unpredictable than pigs growing wings and flying with the birds or one of Neutron's inventions actually working: For the first time, I saw my mother show weakness."

"The Sasha Vortex? Weakness? Those two words don't go together in a sentence unless the word 'none' is between them." Libby said astonished.

"It's true. I found her slumped on the side of her bed, crying over some object." The room was silent fo ra good minute before Cindy continued. "And she gave me a look of pure pity. For one, small second, I received a look of pure pity from my mother. Libby, I'm scared. I feel like something is coming up, and it has something to with whatever was horrifying enough to make my mother, Sasha Vortex, burst into a soft sob." She finished seriously.

Libby looked at Cindy with a surprised look for a few minutes, mouth hung agape and wide-eyed. Once the shock wears off, Libby's face goes from a content look to one of a person with nothing to do but mischief. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Cindy eyed her companion suspiciously before answering.

"I'm not a mind reader Libby, what are you thinking? And why is that look on your face, I don't like that look?" Cindy slowly panicked. The Egyptian descendant just rolled her chocolate-brown eyes.

"Don't you want to figure out what made the Mighty Sasha Vortex fall to her knees in weeps and sobs?"

"I don't know. I mean, if it brought my mother to tears, will I be strong enough to handle the horror?" She asked overdramatically, and smirked slyly at her companion's eye roll.

"Alright. Then it's settled: Tonight, we venture into the ominous depths of... Sasha Vortex!" Libby exclaimed theatrically followed by a maniacal laugh. Cindy just stared at her for a moment in utter shock until her stupor turned into a half-lidded, plain expression.

"I swear you get more like your boyfriend each and every day."

* * *

"Are you sure about this Helga?" A nervous Phoebe whispered. Her and Helga had snuck out of the house after 'calling it a night'. They snuck out through the window and quickly yet silently strided over to the back of Helga's house. Crouched low underneath the fire escape railing , the two thirteen year-olds stayed low and out of sight. The plan was for Helga to enter her house unnoticed, walk into the room, move the object that made her mother cry, and sneak it out of there for Phoebe to see underneath the superlight she received for her twelfth birthday. The plan would have worked too, if not for one small detail.

"You said Miriam was sober when you left, how do you know if she is still sober? Or worse, if she saw us but is not telling you to figure out what it is you're doing here?" Phoebe ranted frantically. This was her first time sneaking out, so it was understandable that she was a bit frazzled, but that _is _the price you pay when hanging with Helga in her crazy world.

"Phoebe's, relax! You're getting a bit loud" Helga pressed.

"Quieting!" She energetically whispered.

"Besides, what are the possibilities of Miriam ever getting of the couch or wherever she's sleeping, nevertheless follow a strange noise into the dark and ominous looking backyard?" This only made Helga more oblivious to the towering shadow over her. Phoebe on the other hand did see the shadow, and was about to warn Helga of the new addition to the group, but the shadow beat her to it.

"Pretty well, I guess." Came the tired and scratchy voice of Miriam Pataki. Helga jumped and swiveled around to face the woman with a lowered pillow beside her in her hands.. After the shock wore off, Helga's eyes just went half lidded and half of her eyebrow went up in a sarcastic matter as they landed on her mothers 'weapon' of choice.

"What? I thought you were an attacker of some sort. You know, since B isn't home yet..." Miriam let her voice drop off at the last part of her sentence as she looked down at the ground like a shy toddler.

"Really Miriam? A pillow?" Helga asked with slight amusement. "Oh no, an attacker! What should I take to defend myself? A knife? No, too dangerous. A SHOVEL? No, I need it for gardening. Hmm..." Helga ranted sarcastically in front of her mother with a hand raised below her chin and a furrowed eyebrow as if in deep thought. "Oh, I know! I'll just use a dang PILLOW to safely protect me from any of the ominous stranger's weapons! They can't be that BAD!" She finally exclaimed. Miriam watched the rant with amusement coming through her once wide but now half-lidded eyes.

"Hey, I can honestly say that my pillow is the safest thing you'll come to in this household young woman. Just don't tell your father that." Miriam mumbled the last part. An awkward silence settled in the atmosphere that was nearly unbearable until they all heard laughing in the house. The two girls looked up at Miriam in surprise as she looked at the house nervously, then back at the girls.

It was Helga who spoke up first.

"Miriam, are you having a slumber party?" She laughed.

"No... I am just having, uh, watching a movie! Yeah he he, he he..." Miriam looked around nervously until a loud _"MIRIAM YOU MISSING ALL THE GOOD STUFF!"_ vibrated through the walls of the blue brick house. Wide eyes landed on Phoebe's shaking head and smart smirk.

"But I must agree with Helga here, Mrs. Pataki. It seems as though you are having a nocturnal get-together?" Miriam stood there frozen for a minute before realization dawned its beautiful bright colors on her.

"How come you girls are back here and not in Phoebe's room sleeping?" With on eye brow raised and the top half of her body leaning towards the two fidgeting girls, Miriam Pataki, for once, was winning a battle.

"I left some pajamas over here and had to get them?" Helga asked as more of a question than an answer.

"Helga..."

gaining back some self-control and confidence, Helga retaliated, "What? It's the truth, alright!". The two stared into each others eyes, one with surprise and the other with anger, and the competitive silence in the triangle Phoebe had once been excluded from would have continued if not for one _little_ problem...

"If you don't come back into the house, you'll miss what the wedding, and I know for a fact that I didn't come here to watch_ Bridzillas_ alone."

They all turned around at once to look at the source of the voice. Helga and Phoebe were in a shocked silence as they stared at the woman at the back porch doorway.

* * *

Cindy and Libby opened the squeaky door of Cindy's room and cringed at the sound. She looked downstairs for any sign of being watched, but neither of the parents seemed bothered by the noise to both of the girl's relief. They open the door a little wider and tiptoed out of the room onto the creaking floorboard.

"Girl, why is your house so dang loud?!" Libby whispered harshly.

"I don't know, because it's old?" Cindy replied. Suddenly a fly buzzes in front of Cindy, making her distracted and begins swatting at it. "Uh, shoo! Go away, you stupid fly!" The fly passed a vase and Cindy hit it, sending the vase crashing to the floor while the incriminating fly escaped without a scratch. The loud crash reverberated throughout the house, and now caught the attention of a startled Sasha and Todd Vortex.

"Cynthia..." her mother's tone was not soothing. Cindy's body quivered at the tone, but answered her mother in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes?"

There was a long pause that followed her response. Cindy and Libby looked down to see Sasha Vortex with her mouth open, as if she already had good thought about what she was going to say, but stopped mid-sentence to review her wording. That near pitiful look Cindy saw the previous day suddenly flashed across her prideful and boastful mother's features. Todd went back to watching television, but anyone could see the tension and nervousness he was holding in.

Finally, after five minutes of unbearable silence, Sasha spoke. Her voice was soft and gentle, as if she would injure the most delicate miracle of she spoke any stronger. "Are you and your company okay?".

Libby glances at Cindy after several minutes of silence. The look of shock was still on her face as she stared at the shadowed shattered vase pieces on the hardwood floor.

"Cin, you okay girl?" Libby asked, hoping to conjure up her senses.

This seemed to snap her out of her stupor as she suddenly yelled, "Yes mother!", grabbed something from the vase wreckage, grabbed Libby's wrist, and nearly sprinted the very short distance to her room. She slammed the door shut behind her and slid her back down until her bottom hit the floor. The sigh of relief that came from Cindy calmed Libby's nerves for a second, because Cindy shot back up and began closing her window curtains and turning off her light. The almost unnoticed dog sat up from his slumber at the door's slam and was watching his master seem as if she has lost some mental sanity, making Humphrey and Libby scared of her silence and wierd actions. The fly was no longer flying, but resting happily on the wall as Cindy began to stare at it.

"Uh, girl," Libby's voice quivered in nervousness, " care to tell me what all of that was about? And why are you staring at that fly?".

The girl didn't respond, but only looked closer at the fly on the wall until Libby became more frustrated than worried.

"CINDY!" She exclaims with all of her rage. Cindy flinched herself back towards Libby and shoots an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Libby, I kind of freaked out there." The sheepish smile was meant to cool Libby down, but she wouldn't have it.

"You scared me half to death! You run in here after your mom asked if you were alright, which I still don't understand WHY it was such a big shock, and then go all paranoid like someone's watching you before staring at a fly. Have you finally snapped your cap? And what did you pick up that you couldn't sweep up with the rest of the broken vase? Tell me girl, TELL ME!" By now, Libby was shaking the teenage blonde by her shoulders with a frantic look in her eyes. Cindy just looked up at her with a smirk, which didn't help her current predicament in the slightest.

"Gosh Sheen, I don't remember inviting YOU to my house, only your GIRLFRIEND!" Libby was slightly confused at first, but after looking over her actions, she let go of Cindy so abruptly that the poor girl nearly fell over.

"I may have spent a little _too_ much time with him..."

"Ya think?" Cindy replied sarcastically. All that earned her was an eye roll and a trip back to square one. The two stayed silent. Libby looked as if she was waiting for Cindy to say something, but the girl was somewhat lost.

"Well..."

"Well what?"

"Well what was that all about? What about the carefully chartered and executed plan to get the item which brought the definition of boastful to pitiful tears?" Libby pressed on. Cindy scoffed.

"That 'carefully chartered and executed plan' was neither careful or executed, barely even chartered, and I think I found something important." Cindy carefully explained. "The thing about my mother and I is family business and blood family only, sorry. But what I found in the vase is probably so scared it-"

"Cindy, if it was so sacred as you claim it to be, then why on earth would you put it in a vase?!" Libby interrupted.

"No one ever looks there, duh." She answered simply.

"That's like the fourth place I would look, duh." Libby mocked her tone. Her companion's facial features scrunched up in confusion.

"Fourth?"

"Yeah. First the jewelery box or safe, second underneath one bed, third underneath the toilet lid, and fourth in a vase." She explained, followed by an awkward silence.

"Do I even want to know how you got your information?" Cindy asked, but she already knew the answer. Only silence followed until Cindy shook her head and continued.

"Nevermind. Anyway, what I found may as well be proof that I have other family.", she finished in a serious tone.

"But Cindy, you already have family. How does this change anything?" a confused Libby questioned.

"I meant extended family." Cindy had never been told of her extended family, or if she even had one. There was only one other time in her childhood when she asked her parents about the family and that was for a school project. Her mother has told her that her mother died when she was young and she didn't care to learn anything about her father. Todd, he father, just shook his head and continued his silent rebellion of speaking. This left Cindy to fill in something to not get a bad grade. Truth be told, she didn't know much about either of her parent's pasts and as far as she's been told, you could search the internet for the Vortex's and only four results will come up. "Ever since Neutron and his dad exposed my mom as Aunt Susie in disguise at the parent games two years back, I've been itching to know more. Where did she come from, how did she get here and most importantly, who was going to tell me about my aunt coming over?"

"Well let's see what this 'sacred' item is and get this over. Girl Scout Cookie sales begin tomorrow morning at ten." Libby pressed on impatiently. Just as Cindy was about to show the item, a thunderous knock startled the daylights out of them and making them jump four feet in the air.  
"Cynthia come out here this instant!" the haughty voice commanded. The girls looked into each other's face before Cindy gulped and answered, "Coming mother!". Before she left, she made sure the object was well hidden in her khaki capris.

"Yes mother?" Cindy asked nervously. Her mother looked down angrily at her.

"Are you forgetting something, Cynthia?" She stressed her name, only making Cindy more nervous.

"I'm sorry, i don't comprehend what you are saying, mother." She answered, with little more enthusiasm than normal. "_I can be just as confident mom, don't doubt. I am your offspring after all." _Cindy thought.

"The vase."

The answer was simple and factual, yet Cindy couldn't help but mentally scold herself for becoming defensive and jumping to conclusion. _"Stupid pride."_. When she cleaned up her mess and her mother rejoined her husband downstairs, she went back into her room.

"Alright, are you gonna show us this sacred item now?" Libby asked, her finger moving in the space between her and Humphrey.

_"This is kind of personal family mystery. Should I really discuss the details with Libby?"_ She looked back at the only other person in the room as she looked around the room at all the different items. _" I'm sure she'll understand that I don't tell her at all. This is personal family business, and feel as if I have told her too much already._" "Actually Libby, I think that we should go to bed. It's pretty late and like you said, you need to get up early tomorrow morning." he faked a yawn as proof to solidify her statement. Libby eyes her for just a moment before rolling them and slipping into her pajama's and her sleeping bag.

For a while they just laid there in the dark silence until Libby spoke in a soft sleepy voice, "Hey Cin?"

"Yeah?" Cindy asked in a an equally soft voice. Her eyes wer closed but she could hear Libby shift her weight towards her direction.

"You still won't say anything about my 'appointments' right?". Ever since Libby and Sheen began dating, she has learned many 'interesting' things he does at certain times. It's like some secret connection they're keeping to themselves (which is surprising that Sheen can actually keep a secret).

"As long as you keep mine." Cindy replied. Let's just say (for now) that Cindy is more than she looks.

And with that, she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, a pair of eyes observed the scene in undetected silence.


	5. Bittersweet

This is my first fanfic, so I'm going to need SOME suggestions. You don't have to be nice at all, I can handle it! Just make a comment! By the way, this chapter is the end result of Helga and Phoebe's nocturnal adventure in Hillwood so I will not be changing to Retroville in this chapter.  
Disclaimer: Young teenagers aren't allowed to own their own show...

* * *

_They all turned around at once to look at the source of the voice. Helga and Phoebe were in a shocked silence as they stared at the woman at the back porch doorway.  
_

* * *

There stood Stella, Arnold's mother who Arnold, Helga, And Gerald found in the deepest yet brightest depths of the San Lorenzo jungle last summer. She wore soft looking sky blue bear pajamas similar to the ones Arnold wore when he suddenly walked into Gerald's Field one morning. (the episode is one YouTube. It's called "Arnold Visits Arnie".), but a big more loose. She looked much like a teenager Helga's age with a pillow underneath one arm, soft and comfy slippers, and the energy to boot.

"Your going to miss the best part if you don't..." her train of thought came to a halt as she now noticed the two young teenagers staring at her in shock. Stella stared back confused. "Hey Helga, Phoebe, shouldn't you two be at Phoebe's house? It's way to late for you girls to be out here by yourselves, even if you are together. ".

"Oh, we were...I mean I was... coming to get more clothes! Yeah, yeah that's it, coming to get more clothes." Helga stammered. Miriam and Stella looked at each other with one eyebrow raised in defiance of Helga's response. Before they could speak, Phoebe spoke up.

"It's very nice to see your Mrs. Shortman, but are you and Mrs. Pataki having your own slumber party?" Her question was answered when another person came out of the house, surprising the two girls once more.

"What is everyone doing out here, you're going to get your new mani-pedi's ruined!...And who are these young women?" Brooke Wellington Lloyd stated as she joined the mini reunion walking on the balls of her feet. You could see from the moonlight that her jet black nightgown was made of silk. Most likely it was imported from some fancy shop in some foreign country.

"Yeah, and the bachelor is on. It's amazing how such a sexy young man as himself can still be single!" Sandra Johansen said coming out in her purple felt top and bottom sleepwear. "Why is everyone out here? The pizza's getting cold." Marilyn Berman said with as she exited the building. Her pink, fat curlers sat snug atop her head and matched the large baby blue nightgown she wore over house slippers.

One by one more women spilled out until all the group's mothers were outside. From the step-moms Vanessa Peterson, a stout and short woman with grey hair in a messy bun, Marcia Horowitz, an average sized woman with short midnight blue hair, quick thinking and fast reactions, and Staci Gifaldi, a woman of consideration who was a head taller than her husband and had her washed out black hair fall along her arms, to the rest of the mothers of all the boys in the group. There was Julia Gamalthorpe, Zelda Smith, Misty Quinlan, and the most surprising of them all, Reba Heyerdahl. Mother and daughter looked stunned at each other.

"Phoebe? Weren't you in bed not half a spell ago? What are you and Helga doing here, and at this time of night?" Reba began. Phoebe just continued to look stunned while Helga was trying to find a quick escape to the situation that just got blown out of proportion.

"But... you were in the house not long ago? Dad let you go out that late?" Phoebe asked hesitantly. At this, all the women go silent and look in different directions, anywhere but at the two teenagers. That is when Helga began to smile wildly. "_That's it!"_ she excitedly shouts in her mind and snaps her fingers to gain everyone's gaze.

"Do any of your husband's know where you are?" She asked. Silence ruled once more. "So they still think you're in the house?".

'Watching t.v".

"Cooking tomorrow's dinner."

"Sleeping next to him."

"Cleaning."

"Pressing clothes."

"Going over tomorrow's outfit."

Once excuse after the other just made Helga's grin grow even more and Phoebe began to wonder.

"Helga," she whispered into Helga's ear. "what are you planning?".

"Just follow my lead here, Phoebe's." Helga whispered back. y now the excuses had ended and the Cheshire cat smile arrived back on Helga's face. "Don't you think that they will find out eventually, and they will go looking for their women?". This began a collection of nervous realizations in the women, but Helga continues through the noise. "But you don't want that to happen do you? You don't want to be restricted from the worry of them finding out and bringing you back, don't you?"

The confidence in their answer was enough to get Helga's scheme into action.

"I thought so , so here's what we're going to do...".

* * *

In the boarding house...

The attic door creaked open, shedding light into the thirteen year-old football headed boy's room. A blonde man about 6 foot 4 inches walked in and stopped at the side of his son's bed as he began lightly yet somehow frantically shaking him awake.

"Arnold!" he whispered quickly. The teen boy just mumbled something under his breath and shuffled more under the blankets. The man began to frantically lift the teen by his forearms and shake him awake. The boy began with a start.

"LAST NIGHT'S BLUES!" he shouted before he was hushed quiet. The blonde boy rubbed his sleep-filled eyes before asking his question. "Dad? What time is it, am I late for school?".

"No, Arnold. I woke you up because your mother is missing." Miles said frantically. Arnold just yawned and tried to soothe his hysterical father.

"I'm sure she's just in the kitchen or the bathroom.".

Miles shook his head violently like a child. "I already checked those places. "

"Let's asked the boarders." So the two want downstairs to interview the other residents in the house.

No, I did not see Ms. Stella pass by. I was asleep for my job in the morning." Mr. Hyunh said. Thee of them then went to Oscar and Suzie's room but before they could open the door, a sweaty and frightened Oscar Kokoschka flung the door open.

"Oh Miles, Arnold, Hyunh, am I glad to see you! Suzie is missing and there's no one here to make me my midnight sandwich." he wheezed.

"That's weird, Suzie is missing too." Arnold said.

"Yes, and whoever took her left this note." Oscar took out a small piece of paper written in nice cursive:

I know where your women are. Collect all the men in the neighborhood at the boardinghouse and wait  
five minutes to call.

"That's bogus, they didn't even leave a number to call." Ernie Potts said from behind all the small group. Everyone turned to see him shirtless before them ( which was never something to get people could get used to).

"Oh no! What if the kidnapper took my Mai?" Mr. Hyunh realized scared. All of the men shuffled to her room as Mr. Hyunh knocked loudly. "Mai? Mai answer your door!" He turned the knob open and entered the room. Everything in the room was still intact and the bed was made neatly without its occupant, but instead a name tag folded on the comforter with neat cursive on it:

I know where your women are. They are safe and nothing will hurt them as long as you follow Suzie's letter.

"How would he have known we got Suzie's note first?" Arnold asked as Mr. Hyunh went around the room frantically.

"They'd have to have luck or be very observing." Miles said. Suddenly, a cranky and groggy voice of an elder came from the top of the staircase.

"What's going on here? What with all the racket?" Phil asked.

"Some maniac has taken all the women!" Oscar exclaimed pushing through the crowd. Phil just looked at them all funny before busting out into a hearty laugh. After he was able to control himself three minutes later, he asked, "You guys actual think someone snuck into this house and took the women? That's a good one.". He began down the steps until Mile's voice broke in.

"Oh yeah, then where's mom?"

Phil stopped dead in his tracks. "I know exactly where she is, and to show you pansies just how dumb you look right now, I'll show you!". So he marched himself and the rest of the men in the boardinghouse into his room to show an empty bed with one side done neatly, an open window, and a note left. Phil read the note and became mad.

"The first note says to call all the guys in relationships to the boardinghouse. Do you think he took all of their wives too?" Arnold asked.

"And he took our food!" Oscar exclaimed from the kitchen.

"What crazy buffoon with a death wish would take our women?" Phil shouted.

* * *

"Alright women, here's how it goes. Does everyone have their cell phone on them?" Helga asked the group of women. With a simultaneous nod, she continued. "Great, now to put step one of my plan into action.".

**Operation: Bittersweet  
**Step 1: Text all the women in the city (with some added information) to join us at the Pataki household in one hour.

* * *

Suzie was lying in her bed she shared with Oscar cold. Again. _"Why can't for once he do something other than mooch off of people?"_ she wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone vibrating on the nightstand.

"Suzie, be quiet I am trying to rest up for tomorrow's game of poker." Oscar mumbled in his sleep. Suzie rolled her eyes and read the message that lit up the screen.

_"Hope you had enough sleep, because it's time to party! Put on some party clothes underneath a large trench coat located outside. Make up your bed and leave a note on a nametags folded paper as if a kidnapper wrote it in cursive. Make sure to not add a ransom of any kind. Bring some food or refreshments with you. You are not the only one getting this message. If there is a women in the house with you, she is also getting the message and same directions as you are and you can go with her as a buddy. NO TELLING ANYONE WITH A Y CHROMOSOME IN THEM ABOUT THIS, so be quiet as you can and get out quickly to the docks. I promise if you follow these directions, you will have a memory that will never be forgotten. Until we all meet at the docks in 60 minutes time."_

- _Sapphire_

She couldn't tell who Sapphire was and was about to set her phone down when a large and loud snore came from Oscar. Looking at him, she got up and went to her drawer, careful not to let anything creak. _"A chance to do something for me."_ she thought with a small smile. Once she left the room, she waltzed over the Mai's room and lightly knocked on the door.

"Mai, are you ready?" She asked barely whispering. Mr. Hyunh's daughter opened the door in a silver knee-length dress while holding black heels in her hands.

"Yes, I am ready." she replied in a volume that matched Suzie's. They went into the kitchen and grabbed two two-liter soda bottles before heading out. The trench coats were in a brown box on top of the garbage cans and they put them on. It was one of those 'one size fits all' coats, for it dragged behind Mai as she and Suzie walked to the docks. As they walked, they noticed Gertie sneak out the window in a 70's disco get-up and other women in trench coats walking down the road in hushed conversation.

"Do you have any idea who this 'Sapphire' person is?" Suzie asked as they neared the docks. Mai just shrugged.

"I have not a clue, but this is a good break from our normal routine." she replied.

"Now do you have the card I told you to get?" Helga asked her mother. Miriam pulled out a small business card out of her purse and handed it to her. By now it was almost eleven o'clock.

"Excellent.".

**Operation: Bittersweet**  
Step 2: Call the boardinghouse and see how the boys are holding up.

* * *

The place was filled with fathers and their sons. Curly was making war noises while Ryan was trying to calm him down, Brainy and Jake were in the corner away from the crowd, Harold was complaining to Jerry of his hunger, Stinky and Tim were sitting down at the livingroom table, Sid and Ray were becoming paranoid with something about aliens, Iggy and Lorenzo were conversing about the upcoming summer, Eugene and Herbert were trying to encourage everyone to look on the bright side but only getting themselves hurt, Gerald and Martin were acting like detectives at the kitchen table with the notes, and Arnold and Miles just watched it all. Harvey was pacing the halls while some other guys waited in line for the bathroom to become unoccupied.

Everyone jumped when they heard the phone ring. The whole house was silent and 20 pairs of eyes went to Miles as the ringing filled the air. He hesitantly picked it up and put the phone on speaker for all to hear and before he could get a word in, the voice spoke.

"Is everyone there?". The five toned voice asked.

"Here!" they all said in unison.

"WHERE'S OUR WOMEN?" Curly shouted before Ryan closed hid mouth.

"They are safe and warm. Now listen carefully because I will not stop speaking nor repeat myself. I will cut you some slack and tell you where they are, but I will not be there (Obviously). There is a lone motel on the outskirts of the west side of town. Once there, tell the man at the check-in counter that you are all there for the conference in room 216. Good-bye.". Then the phone line went dead.

"Martin, were you able to track the phone number?". Miles asked hopefully, but only got a head shake from the detective.

"He used a trackless phone, man this guy planned this out.". He sighed exhausted as Gerald and Arnold separated from the group to have their own conversation.

"Man, this is crazy! A Mysterious person that comes into your house and steals your girl, now that's messed up!" Gerald quietly exclaimed to Arnold.

"I know, I can't believe someone would actually do this.".

"It's like we're living in a tale, and I am the keeper of the keeper of the tales living in one? Even Fuzzy Slippers doesn't know this!" Gerald exclaimed excitedly. Arnold just stared at him with disbelief. "I mean this is so sad." he tried to cover.

"Think about it Gerald, the note said he took the women. What if he took Phoebe huh?" Arnold asked, hiding his joy of Gerald's sudden determined reaction.

"Oh no they wont!" he was about to march up to his father to give him his word until a thought came to him. "Hey Arnold?".

"Yeah?".

"You never did tell me who that Deep Voice character was when we saved the neighborhood back in fourth grade.".

"Why is it important now, we have people to save!" he said in a flight rush that Gerald missed. Over the years, Arnold had become better at hiding certain emotions before anyone noticed them. This proved good in class, at home, and in situations where he knew would lead to an interrogation by his friends.

Gerald opened his mouth as he was about to say something, but changed mind and went over to his father instead. _"Close." _Arnold thought.

* * *

"This is the most crucial detail of the plan women, so everyone except Miriam go down into the basement." Helga ordered. Complaints were heard as the women filed themselves into the dusty basement.

"Helga, what do you want me to do?" Miriam asked. Helga handed her a half made cup of Ginger Ale and said, "I want you to pretend to sleep on the couch with this cup in your hand like you usually do."

"Why do you want me to do this Helga?" Miriam asked as she laid down in the near darkness. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway echoed in the air and the car door slamming shut was heard.

**Operation: Bittersweet**  
Step 3: The Vanishing Act of Big Bob Pataki

* * *

Bob had a long day at the Emporium, he didn't even had enough time to go to the local bar with the guys. As he drove along the dark streets of the neighborhood, thoughts of his house began to evade. _"Everyday that girl gets worse! Why can't she act like she is, just like Olga? I can't even get a peep out of her without some comeback. And Miriam..."_ he thought, becoming more angry and stressed each passing second. _"Oh, boy. Home at last."_ he thought sarcastically when he pulled into his driveway. Getting out of his car and up the small stoop, he unlocked the door to his home.

On any other night coming in late from the office or the bar, Bob would have been welcomed with darkness and silence. The scent of his preheated meal would make it's way to his nose and he would eat alone. Miriam would be drunk and asleep somewhere other than the bed and Helga would be in her room as he would turn on some lights and have a nice drink from his cabinet.

Tonight however, he saw all the lights were out except for the main one in front of the stair case. Underneath it was his thirteen year old daughter and a large, grey duffel bag laying in front of her. There was no smell of mashed potatoes and beef nor was there Miriam in sight. The strange silence made Bob's brow furrow.

"Hey, what are you still doing up girl? It's past midnight, shouldn't you be sleeping to go to fourth grade?" He asked. This only made Helga grit her teeth in anger.

"I'm 13 Bob, I'm in the eighth grade, and it's only eleven-thirty." She said calmly.

"Whatever. And what's in the dufflebag? Your not planning to sneak out are you?"

"Why would I wait here for you under the only light in the house if I were going to sneak out, Bob?" The sarcasm in her voice was evident, but Bob just ignored it.

"Yeah yeah. Anyway what's in the bag, and where's Miriam?" he asked. Helga perked up at his questions and a sly smile eased it's way onto her face.

"Miriam went to bed but didn't you here?" Her face twisted in false innocent confusion.

"Here about what?"

"Why, all the guys in town are having a first annual man hunt, and _your _ the hunter." she said cooly. His face turned from furrowed to surprise.

"Really?". Helga's smile widened to an innocent yet almost evil extent.

"Oh yes! They all agreed that to make the first Hillwood man hunt the best, they were going to need the strongest, most iron-willed man in town to be the hunter. So they took an anonymous vote and you won with flying colors. I have all of your stuff here ready, to go when you get home." She boasted. _"That big oaf can't turn down himself. What a narcissist."._

"Alright, just let me eat and sho-".

"Oh don't worry about that dad. You guys will be meeting at a motel on the outskirts of town with its own restaurant before you begin. Just ask to use the restroom for a shower and go to room 216 armed and ready. Once they see you, the game will begin." She said dramatically. The smile on his face couldn't have shown his excitement anymore than his tense shoulders and half lifted arms. He dashed over to the duffel bag and hauled it over his shoulder before running out the door saying, "Don't expect me back anytime soon!", and speeding away down the road.

Once the sound of one car speeding down the road ended, a musical of manly shouts and car horns sounded past the house until that too ceased. Helga gave a half-lidded face at the new silence.

"Alright, we're clear!", and everyone came out of the basement. Miriam came down the stairs to meet Helga's left side while Phoebe tool her right.

"How are we going to get all the men out-of-town?" Phoebe asked.

"Crimeny, relax Phoebe's, they left not too long ago on Bob's trail. Now we go to step 4!"

**Operation: Bittersweet**  
Step 4: Gather the women from the dock and have one heck of a party!

* * *

Suzie's phone vibrated from underneath her trench coat. "Being cramped under a boardwalk with all the women in the city is not fun! When can we leave?".

"When can we leave?" Mai asked before her phone also buzzed in a new message, causing a chain reaction of buzzes from all of the ladies phones. Suzie answered hers and read to message.

_"Great job, girls! Some of you may hove noticed that not all of the women in Hillwood ore where you are. They will be guiding you to the location of our party. _  
_  
Sapphire_  
_  
p.s. Yes, you will also get to meet me. ;)"_

"I see them!" a women shouted and everyone spilled out of their hiding place. Stella, Julia, Sandra, and Reba all held flashlights that shone brightly on the women.

"Goodnight, gals!" Sandra said, "Tonight is going to be one that we'll always remember!".

"And don't worry about the boys," Stella began, "we lead them out. The whole town is ours, but we'll only be in one place tonight. Any questions?". One girl raised her hand.

"Yes you." Patty Smith walked in front of the crowd and spoke.

"Are you going to tell us who this 'Sapphire' stranger is?" she asked, causing the others to mummer in agreement. Stella's smile turned into a knowing smirk.

"She's no stranger, especially to you Patty.", and with that she began walking down the road as the others followed. They walked down the dark and quiet streets of Hillwood, the moonlight casting a soft glow on their trench coats and various snacks. Soon enough, they all arrived at the backyard of the Pataki household and gasped at its beauty. There were pink streamers in the tree, pink chinese lanterns that seemed to hover right above the backyard, a small table with a large radio on it, a table with pink covering fit for snacks, and a large banner that says, "We Will Miss You, Stella!". The women filed in and threw off their trench coats to the side.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Stella's Goodbye Party/All X Bash!" a voice from behind them said. They turned around and gasped at the sight of Helga in boot-cut jeans and a pink and black blouse with her blonde, wavy hair cascading down her back. Phoebe stood next to her with her hair down in a pair of jean-capris and blue and white blouse she had retrieved from her house.

"Helga, you were Sapphire?" A voice from the middle of the crowd said. Pushing her way to the front was Rhonda Wellington Lloyd in a red v-neck dress that stopped just above her knees and black wedges. The rest of the girls from her sleepover were there wearing the same outfit in only different colors. "But why?".

"Don't you see the banner?" She asked sarcastically. Suddenly a figure jumped from the top of the tree and in front of Helga, scaring them out of their thoughts. Gertie stood there in a fake afro, a seventies outfit, and her hand in the shape of the piece sign.

"Let's get groovy, dudes!". The shock had worn off as the music played loudly through the backyard. The women danced, ate snacks, talked, and all in all had a good time. Stella went up to Helga in a sleeveless blue dress that stopped right on her knees.

"Thank you Helga! I couldn't have thought of a better way to remember this town!". She exclaimed happily before getting pulled into a conga line. Helga smiled at the picture even as her thoughts became somewhat sad. Phoebe noticed the look since she hasn't left Helga's side during the plan.

"What's wrong Helga?"

"I'm thinking of a good excuse.". Phoebe raised an eyebrow at this.

"An excuse for what Helga?"

"When the old Football Head and his clan get back."

"I wonder how they are holding up?"

* * *

"We're here for the conference in room 216." Miles said to the check-in clerk. The clerk looked up to meet the eyes of five men and five boys all behind the man who spoke and a kid with a wierd shaped head. _"How can he fit through doors?" _ He thought before returning his attention back to the question at hand. He typed in the words to see what the conference in room 216 was about and widened his eyes at what it said.

"Are you sure it's room 216, not any other room?", the clerk asked with one eyebrow raised. All of the men shook their heads. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he gave them all directions to the room. "It's down the hall and the first set of double-decked doors on the left end of the hall. Enjoy your conference.".

"Thank you," Miles looked down at his name tag,"Craig.". Once all of them were in the hall, they heard Craig burst into a hearty, uncontrollable laughter that echoed throughout the tiny hotel. After shrugging off his outbursts, they continued down the hall and made a left turn until they reached the double-decked doors. Before Miles opened the door, Martin's hand shot out in protest.

"What do we do when we meet this guy? He may have weapons and other men in there, and we don't have anything!" he whispered in a rush. The others in the back murmured agree until Curly spoke up.

"We can get the forest animals to claw him limb by limb after we rescue our women!" he exclaimed with one fist pumped into the air. Everyone slowly turned to him with half lidded eyes when Ryan spoke up.

"You keep saying 'our women'. Who's your woman?" he asked looking at his son. Curly gave a sheepish smile and put his hand down as he averted his gaze away from his father's questioning one. Their conversation was cut short by the small chatter of women on the other side of the door, bringing back everyone' focus back onto the reason of coming here.

"We won't know until we open the doors." Miles responded. He reached his hand incredibly slow anticipation and fear, almost touching to surface, until both doors were blown open by Herbert tripping on his shoelace. A collection of gasps reverberated around the room and glass clinking on glass was head by the men. Once everyone sat up, only to be met with the faces of twelve shocked and distraught looking elderly women in their church clothes sitting in a semi-circle of cheap chairs. The China they were drinking tea from was still in their hands which were either frozen or trembling in shock. Miles turned his head to a banner that sat upon an isle next to him.

"The Christian Ladies Circle of Hilwood: Helping One Woman Out At A Time." Arnold and Miles read aloud.

"Hey, what's up with all the old hags?" Harold asked, now out of the tangle of men. The women gasped once again and frowned upon the boy and his comment.

"Harold, that is no way to speak to the elderly." Jerry calmly scolded.

"Sorry dad. Hello old women! How are you this fine evening?" Harold corrected in a gentleman like way. Jerry slapped his forehead with his hand as the women glared at the boy. "What?" he asked cluelessly.

"We are so sorry for interrupting your meeting," Arnold explained."but there is a man out there who has somehow taken all the women-"

"Except you ladies." Miles cut in.

"Yes, except you, and we were led here by him. Do you happen to know if-" once again, he was cut short by one of the women cries.

"Oh, how horrible! I hope he doesn't do anything to my dear Marylin or Patricia!" a woman in a floral dress and black heels said. Her big, eccentric hat flapped as she shook her head from side to side.

"Why would such a man take my wonderful Brooke and Rhonda?!" the woman dressed in a rather old and simple yet elegant gown exclaimed and finished off with a overdramatic sob.

"Oh suck it up you pompous maniacs! My Helga can handle those pansies. You won't see or hear her being a chump! Now if Olga was here, she probably would have done just that." a woman form the edge of the circle said. She stood up from her seat in her with strong hands and great muscle, very unlike the rest of the women. She went against the protocol by wearing blue jeans and a simple baby blue shirt. By the looks of her short black hair and dark green eyes, no one would have guessed that Helga or any of the Pataki family would have any blood relation to this women. The one thing that stood out the most was her charm bracelet that seemed to childish for a woman of her age. "That Robert was always dense. Never liked him, never will." she finished with a scowl on her face.

Arnold just stared at the woman in astonishment. _"She's so much like Helga it's- wait a minute..."_ Arnold thought as he played back the elder's rant. "Where is Mr. Pataki?" he asked to himself. All of the guys were untangled and trying to calm the other women in the room. Arnold's voice caught the attention of Gerald.

"What was that man?".

"If all the women in Hillwood were taken, and all of their men are here, then where is Mr. Pataki?" Arnold said out loud. The whole room went quiet as they thought the same thing.

"I went to his house but he wasn't home. The place had some blankets on the floor and there was food in the livingroom, but all of the lights were off so I couldn't see anything else. " Ernie explained.

"That no good hooligan! I never trusted that Bob Pataki!". Phil angrily said with one fist shaking in the air. The other men began to become angry at Bob.

"I hope he knows how to run from trucks!" Ray exclaimed.

"Down with Bob! Down with Bob!" Sid started chanting. The rest of the men chanted with him until Harold spoke up.

"When we get our hands on him, he'll be running so fast and-and so far, he won't have enough air to call for his-".

The double-deck doors bust open with a kick from said hooligan. He was wearing an army camouflage vest with khaki pants, a light brown jacket, and dark brown boots. He held a be be gun filled with small, white plastic bullets for no particular point of the room. "Aha!" he exclaimed at the end of his impromptu entry.

"AHHHH!". Everyone screamed at him, terrified of the gun in his hands. They all ran to hide behind the women, who hadn't gone out of their chairs.

"MOMMY!" Harold screamed as he ran to the women. All of them had a terrified look on their faces, wide eyes and dropped mouths.

All except one woman in jeans.

"Robert. What is wrong with you now?" she asked annoyed. The scowl on her face was much darker than the one before, enough to wipe the predatory grin off of Bob's face.

"Eadalin." Bob said in surprise. "How long have you been here? Why didn't Miriam tell me you were coming?".

"Maybe she didn't want to tell you. She can make a decision for herself for your information." she spat back. Eadalin looked him up and down before continuing with her rant. "And what's with the get-up? You look like Elmer Fudd and the last time I checked, it's not hunting season!".

The others watched in amazement as the fragile looking elder insulted and stood up to a fuming thirty-two year old beefy man with a gun. Everyone just sat back and watched the fight unfold, not knowing what to do next.

"This is for the night's manhunt, which none of you seem to understand means to run and hide" Bob said, pointing a thick finger at the men,"and hiding behind old women doesn't count! Why don't you saddle up these women and everyone stays away from our game!".

"Hey! This is not a game! Kidnapping women and girls is **not** a game!" Martin said angrily. Bob scrunched his eyebrow in frustration and confusion as his attention was guided to Martin.

"What do you mean? What's really going on here?" Bob asked, lowering his gun to the side and giving everyone in the room a large rush of relief.

"You know what's going on." Ray said incriminating as he and the others left their 'shelter'.

"A manhunt. Now run you pansies!" he said, almost raising his gun again. The two men began to fight and the others (including Eadalin) also stood behind and beside Martin. Miels and Arnold stood to there on the sidelines with the women, observing the scene from a distance. With the shake of a head, Arnold broke up the upcoming commotion.

"Mr. Pataki, all the women and girls in Hillwood went missing earlier tonight, and we're just trying to find out who's holding them all captive and why." the football headed boy explained to a raging Pataki. Bob calmed down, but the mad and confused expression only deepened.

"What do you mean boy? The girl told me that tonight was the annual Hillwood manhunt. What is all this about missing women?" he grunted.

"What girl?" Gerald questioned.

"You know, the girl: Olga.". Arnold's eyes went half-lidded along with elseone's vibrant green orbs.

"Helga." Eadalin corrected.

"Yeah her.". The silence in the room was uncomfortable and eerie. In fact, it was so silent that all of them could barely, just barely hear the soft thumping of a base drum in the air. All of the attention was then put on the sound of the bass and they all looked at the back wall.

"What's that noise?" Nathan asked aloud.

"It sounds like music." Ray answered.

"But it's so far away." Jerry finished.

"Lets follow it. Maybe we'll find them there." Ryan said.

"Do you think they'll have lemon pudding there?" Tom asked as everyone filed out of the double-decked doors and into their vehicles, leaving the group of Christian Ladies back into their original composition. As the boys drew nearer to the beat, the soft thumping escalated to a ground-shaking pumping, and they could hear laughter, shrieks, conversations, and chants echoing throughout the neighborhood. A light pink glow that shone in the sky and gave Hillwood the look of an early sunrise attracted the men like moths. When they got there, they couldn't believe their eyes.

The women in short dresses, skin-tight clothes, drinking and conversation like it was a normal day, and finally women dancing with little care. Mai in her knee-length, skin-tight, sparkly silver dress was dancing with Suzie in her leathery lime green strapless knee-length gown. Sandra and the other women were wearing designer party dresses were huddled in a circle wide enough so that all the men could see. The sight was one that astonished all of them to the poiint of wide eyes and dropped mouths for the second time that night (or by now, the morning).

"Go Stella! Go Stella!" the circle chanted. Stella was wearing a sleeveless baby blue, satin silk gown, pink bracelets and black heels began swaying with the beat of the song, _Mr. Saxobeat,_ began playing. She began to get nervous and spotted Helga in the crowd. A huge smile crossed her features at the unsuspecting girl.

"Dance with me, Helga!" and just like that they were both the center of attention. Helga blushed at all the attention at first, but soon fell into beat with Stella and the song as the saxophone solo ended and Alexandra began to sing.

_You make me dance  
Bring me up  
Break me down  
Lays it sweet  
Makes me move  
Like a freak,_

_Mr. Saxobeat._

The two women laughed and danced to the rhythm simultaneously with each other. Their hands swayed as their knees bunched their bodies to the beat of the song, hands swaying in the air along with the song. The circle got a little bigger as they moved side to side, and although their eyes were closed to fully concentrate on the music, Stella and Helga moved in sync as if they'd done this lifetimes before. Unbeknownst to any of them, their fathers, brothers, and/or husbands were watching their every movement. After the song ended, they opened their eyes and everyone cheered for the two. Helga blushed a little and looked down shyly while Stella took her hand and led her to the top of a high branch with the microphone in her other hand.

"Excuse me!" she said, but barely anyone heard her. She tried again. "E-excuse me guys?".

"I've got this, Mrs. Shortman." Helga said. Stella smiled sweetly at her comment.

"Call me Stella, dear." she said.

"Okay, I can handle this. Stella." Helga said cautiously. She cleared her throat before getting everyone's attention. "EXCUSE ME!". Everyone stopped, even the music quit playing, as all eyes were redirected on Helga and Stella. "Thank you.".

"I would first of all like to thank all you for coming to this sudden but wonderful party tonight.". All of the women cheered in excitement. "And secondly, I would like to thank the one person that made this all possible: The Lovely Miss Helga G. Pataki.". She motioned to Helga and everyone cheered louder than the last time. "Or as she was called tonight-" Stella was cut off when Gertie came out of nowhere still in her 70's clothing. She pointed in the direction of the multitudes of vehicles parked on the opposite side of the street.

"Groovey dudes, 3:00!". Everyone turned their heads to see the men of Hillwood exiting their cars and all eyes went wide. Before Sid could reach the gate, Helga shouted.

"RUN!" and with that the women didn't waste a moment. Some ran into the house and out of the front door. Most went out the other exit. Some of them like Suzie and Mai jumped over the fence into someone else's yard and _sprinted_ home. All of the guys were too stunned to do anything about the whole commotion. Escaping women shouted to each other as they took their snacks and Tupperware, some took the streamers from the trees and someone bent the foldable table down, until the only sound left was of Gertie's distant laughter. The backyard was empty and, other than the chinese lanterns that still left a glow in the yard, it was like the party never happened. Helga and Miriam were left outside since they planned to clean up, but due to the good fortune they were dealt with they now had to handle to guys. And they didn't look happy.

"Helga! What was the meaning of all of this?!" Bob exclaimed. Miriam began to cower, but Helga stood her ground.

"Well Bob," she began," if you haven't noticed, this was a party.".

"Don't get smart with me little lady! What gave you the idea that it was alright to throw a wild party without either me or your mother knowing?" he fumed.

"Miriam was _at_ the party." she replied bluntly. Helga looked back to see that her mother had snuck off into the house while they were conversing. She turned back to find her father just looking down at her in bored yet convinced expression.

"Whatever. It better not happen again as long as you live in my house, you hear?" he commanded, his face real close to Helga's. She scowled back at him in challenge.

"Yeah, yeah.".

Bob scoffed and left to enter his house through the front door as he muttered things underneath his breath. The crowd began to disperse and go to their own home with the reassurance that the women would be there when they arrived, everyone but Arnold. Phil was the only one to notice this.

"Arnold, aren't you coming?".

"In a minute, grandpa." he said in his slightly deepened voice. Phil just walked along the way as Arnold walked over to Helga. With her back to Arnold, she looked upon the scenery of the backyard and the tiniest of smirks crossed her face. "That was nice of you Helga.".

She turned around and faced him. "Um...Thanks?" she said shyly.

"You know I had never seen my mom that happy with someone other than family." he said quietly.

"Yeah, well... I guess I had fun too." She admitted quietly, not noticing his slow-paced stride toward her. Her expression changed from content to remorse as she continued to view the grassy dance floor.

"What's wrong?" Arnold asked. Helga sighed and looked nervously at the ground before looking straight forward, still not meeting his gaze.

"Earlier tonight I was just having a simple sleepover. Nothing that even involved the kinds of Rhondaloid's presence, but afterwards, everyone had fun in helping me prank the crap out of you guys." she began to laugh until she caught Arnold's bored expression. Then she continued." but after the party was in full swing...and why am I telling you this?" she finished defensively.

"Maybe because you trust me?" he said hopefully. Helga raised half of her unibrow at him.

"Oh really Football Head?".

"Yes really. It's quiet obvious.". At this statement, Helga feigned shock.

"The dense one no longer dense?! Watch your head pigs must be flying!" she said and covered her head with her arms in exaggeration. He laughed as the sky was becoming brighter.

"I'm not as thick-skulled as you say I am. It's pretty fun to figure out the action in situations." he said.

"Oh yeah? And what would the solution to this situation be, O great and powerful Football Face?" she asked in playful sarcasm. A playful smirk landed on his face and he looked at her. He took her hand and spun her to the middle of the yard right underneath the lantern's glow.

"Now we dance!" they laughed as they playfully spun around each other like two best friends.

"Not too bad for someone in flying bear pajamas." Helga said. Arnold looked down and blushed in embarrassment.

"Well this isn't the first time I've danced with you." he responded cooly, making Helga blush this time. As the twilight of dawn stretched across the sky, their spinning became more controlled and slower until they were practically slow dancing to the music of nature. Helga laid her head on his shoulder and her arms went around his neck as his hands fell to her waist. To any stranger passing by, they would have looked like two kids slow dancing to absolute silence, but to them it was enough. The sun struck through the burnt out lanterns and between the space small space in between the two. Helga and Arnold stared into each other's eyes as their dancing became slower and slower until it came to a stop. Nothing was said for a good two minutes, just heavenly silence.

_"This is such a victory!" _Helga thought. She looked right into his eyes and she saw them dilate, as if trying to show her something, but they dilated back down. Arnold widened his eyes frantically and he took his hands off of her waist. In response, she soon realized how awkward it must be for him and let go of his neck. They looked away slightly embarrassed until Helga regained enough of her composure.

"Well, thanks again for the party I guess." Arnold said as he rubbed the nape of his neck and looked at the ground. "I should probably be heading home.".

"Yeah... but don't expect me to be that nice all the time! It was just a party to celebrate how successful the prank was." she said defensively.

"Sure Helga." he said with a smirk.

"And if you even think about telling this to _anyone _I will take the next flight to Texas and beat you until the cows really come home." she threatened, all the while with him smirking that carefree smirk.

"Whatever you say, Helga.". He exited the gate and turned to walk down the street to his house. Helga went inside to finally get some sleep and closed the door behind her. As she walked up the steps, she can hear the roar of an engine running and a car door slam shut. The vehicle drove off and when Helga closed the room, changed into pajamas, and snuggled into her covers, her peace was interrupted once more.

"Mommy! Daddy! Baby sister! Surprise!". A frustrated sigh escaped her into her pillow at the mew arrival's sound.

"Olga."

* * *

A/N: I added the last part beginning from where Arnold has his conversation with Helga on the spot! I really hope someone reviews because it's a free country. Criticize all you want, but your silence in deafening! What do you think Olga will do? Because now I don't know. This is so far my longest chapter, being nearly 8,000 words! I hope it was enjoyable and not a complete waste of time. I would also like to thank the 103 viewers of this, the three in SINGAPORE and the one person who added this to their favourites! I am very excited and thankful!


	6. Two Weeks Of Mauhem: Saturday

The viewers in Canada and Singapore are just lovely. I know it may only be one, but I still want to thank you for being the first ones to make my first fanfic an international one.

Disclaimer: A disclaimer is just something that people already know, but feel the need to repeat on every chapter of a story they create just to be on the safe side of the rules. Uh... I really don't like doing this.

* * *

"Hello! Anyone home? I have surprise!" she yells throughout the house in the early in the morning. Helga tried to put her pillow over her head to block out her sister's questioning voice, but it proves in a futile attempt. She groaned in annoyance and turned over in her bed towards the door, ready to head Olga away, when a new voice entered the air.

"Traveling on a plane for twelve hours with no sleep to an empty house is _not_ how I wanted to spend time with my sister-in-law." the deep voice bluntly stated. You could hear him smirking in his voice.

Helga's eyes shot open at person's voice and tripped trying to untangle herself from her blankets. Once freed, she flung open her bedroom door and began to run downstairs like a little kid on Christmas morning until something stopped her. Well, not really a something, moreover a some_one_. The hemisphere protruding underneath the middle of Olga's white sundress made Helga stop dead in her tracks. Her gaze went from the impregnated belly to Nathan, and then to Olga herself. She could see the expression on Olga change from excited to nervous as her sister examined the scene before her.

"Y-you see Helga, uh... I can explain!" Olga stuttered in rush.

"I'm sure Helga knows what's going on. Anyone can see that I-" Nathan's words were cut off by Olga covering her husband's mouth with her hand. He just eyed her with an expression that read, 'really?'. The two looked at Helga's blank expression and watched as a mischievous smirk replaced it.

"Not bad, Nathan." she said as she hopped over the last few steps, landed on her feet, and hig-fived her brother-in-law. The line on his face became a wild grin as the two began to laugh, completely oblivious to Olga's horrified expression.

"Helga!" she exclaimed frantically.

"What?" Helga said laughing." Criminey Olga calm down, I _am _thirteen. Eventually I was going to learn about the birds and the bees, and what better way than knowing I'm gonna be an auntie soon!". This made the rest of the resident of the Pataki household get up and run to the top of the staircase in a flurry on steps. Miriam stood there in her wrinkled long-sleeved blue shirt and matching pants with Bob on her left wearing nothing but a white tank top that showed some chest hair and his grey trousers. Their wide eyes were red from the lack of sleep, and this concerned Olga.

"What?!" The married couple exclaimed. All Olga could do was smile sheepishly as the attention was again shot towards her stomach. Miriam was the one to end the silence with an ear-splitting squeal.

"Ohhh! I can give you advice on how to be a good mother and how to get rid of those pesky stretch marks!" she muttered the last part, but Helga heard it._"hypocrite" _ she thought, and with the expression she saw on Nathan's face, she knew he thought the same.

When Helga first met Nathan, she instantly liked him. He was similar to herself in many ways. He didn't like to talk about his home life as much as Olga did, and he could see past her rose-coloured glasses. Unlike Doug, the first man who proposed to her sister, he truly loved her. Helga could see it in his eyes, that sparkle he had when he looked at her unnoticed, the way his whole body flinched at her touch, and that was what Helga was aiming towards. But the one thing he did that made Helga enjoy his company the most was the way he messed with her father. Bob hated Nathan for ( and I quote) "not thinking he was a real man" while Nathan hated Bob for ( yet again, and I quote) "having his head stuck so far up his ass he couldn't smell the stench of his own meat-and-potatoe failure to notice his _whole _family". After Helga ran up to her room and laughed uncontrollably for a good five minutes, she ordered him to have a "sit-down". The conversation went a little like this:

Olga stood behind the couch looking like a nervous wreck as the twelve-year old and twenty-five year-old stared each other down, one on the sofa, the other in Bob's recliner. Helga laid back in the recliner in her pink jumper, one leg swaying off the front and the other on the edge of the right armrest with narrowed eyes. Her gaze then went to the blue eyes her nervous wreck of a sister before she spoke in a blunt, apathetic voice.

"Doug never loved you, nor did her die in the war. He was never called to the crisis in Namibia before your wedding, and he was never anything he told you. He only wanted to get close to you take over Bob's beeper business and was actually dating some Linda girl who had a son before you even came into the picture. I made the excuse for him to leave at the wedding without a single good-bye and... yup, that's about it." she said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

By the time she finished with her speech, Olga had a broken expression on her face. The mascara was already streaking down her face as she looked forward at the twelve year-old who held her perfected poker face at the sight. Her vision then centered on Nathan, who was looking at the child with an astonished look on his face that read 'what did you do that for?!' before he got up and hugged his distressed fiancé. As she sobbed into his shoulder, she shot a death glare at the girl, but startled to see her looking at him with the eyes of a true examiner. They were nothing but slits that didn't even look at his body structure like her father did, but into his eyes. The gaze she sent him was so powerful that it nearly scared him if not for Olga's sobs becoming more high-pitched, which brought his attention back to the situation at hand. Once she calmed down a bit, he soothed her with his words.

"It doesn't matter what douche Doug did to you back then. He's gone, and I'll be sure to never let anything hurt you as long as I'm here." he said with a straight face and enough determination to bring a smile to Olga's wet face.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really."

She sniffs one more time before leaving." Alright. I'm going to go wash my face in the washroom. I probably look a mess." she mumbled the last part before going upstairs. He watched her go and then turned to give the little girl a dirty look, only to find that she was right behind him.

"How could you do that to her? Lie to her just to hurt her feelings. I get that you're not very fond of her but-".

"That wasn't a lie, bucko. Doug was really the first man to propose to her after a three-week relationship, and he _did_ do all those things I said he did. Seriously, who says yes to someone you've only met a season ago?" she said nonchalantly. He just stared at her stunned.

"Well why would you do that?!".

"To test you. And you passed." she stated looking him straight in the eye. He looked with half lidded, amused eyes.

"What, to see if I would comfort her? Any man would have done that.". Helga shook her head.

"The human eye is more than a way of seeing what's around, it's a lie detector in itself. The silent microphone that gives off a frequency very few can hear, and those who can grant access into the deepest of emotions one can hold. Doug would have comforted her, yes, but his eyes would have told another story filled with greed and corruption. Your eyes were filled with pure concern and... well love, and because of that you have my blessing." she said with a stern tone he's heard no child have. He was about to say something when her straight face broke into a wild smile. "Plus, you telling off Bob like that was phenomenal!"

"Why thank you." he said before continuing on with his earlier question. "How come you're not like your sister?".

Before Helga could answer, Miriam walked into the livingroom with her smoothie close to her, as if she was trying to hide it. Her eyes scanned the area, and only seeing Helga, she continued her activity. "Oh, hey Helga." her groggy voice croaked before she took a sip of her drink and dozed off on the couch. Bob came in next and sat in his chair before turning on the television to the Wheel.

"Hey Olga, why don't you get me some chips and a beer?".

"Why don't you get it yourself, Bob? And the name's Helga!" she scolded with a scowl. He scrunched his brow and turned to her with a scowl of his own.

"Hey, don't you get smart with me missy! This is my house, and if you don't respect that or the people living in it then get out!" he said. Helga's eyes widened at his words, but changed into a darker scowl and the second sadness came, so did rage. She turned and left the room muttering words underneath her breath. "Five more years." Nathan heard Bob mutter under his breath.

That was when Nathan officially hated Bob.

Ever since then, the two had a bond that none could break. While Miriam ecstatically spoke to Olga about facts and tips of being a mother for the first time, Bob on the other hand looked slightly amused and annoyed.

"I can't belive she let you do this to her." he said angrily.

"I am her husband, and I waited until she told me that she was ready to have a family. Don't get so angry _dad._" Nathan responded. He knew this would tick Bob off and smirked at the sight of the grown man seething.

"In my house I can do whatever I feel like!" he said through gritted teeth. Nathan just laughed at the man's words.

"Why don't you chill pops? Get to know me before the baby comes and we don't have much time." he responded cheerily. Helga tried to hide hold in her laughter, but she could practically see the steam fuming out of her father's ears. Before Bob was able to respond, Helga cut him off just to mess with him more.

"Well it seems that you only have three months. Let's see, what event could give you three months from work? Hm..." Helga feigned thought with one hand underneath her chin and her brow scrunched at the center. Nathan caught up to what she was doing and copied her expression.

"Well I hear school ends for you soon." he said. Bob's face went from rage to realization.

"No...".

"That's right! And then we do stupid things until school returns in August." Helga said. The smirk on her and Nathan's face continued to grow.

"Tell me Helga, what do you kids call this three-month pause between school years here?" he asked sweetly. The enraged look on Bob's face nearly made them lose their composure. Helga smiled in fake innocence before answering, her voice so sweet you may as well take your insulin now.

"Oh, that is what us kids call summer Nathan!". That was when he blew.

"There is no way in HELL am I going to listen to strawberry sherbert about _his _problems for my summer!" Bob exclaimed.

"Then it's a good thing we're in Hillwood." the red-head replied smoothly. Bob looked as if we was a bomb about to explode, muscles tense and everything, but it soon relaxed and a victorious look crossed his features.

"There's one problem: How are you going to know me if you live on the other end of the country? How are you going to so that Nathan?". The smirk on Nathan's face increased as Bob's ever so slowly decreased but before he could respond with a factual retort, Olga came back into the room with her mother in tow.

"Oh, daddy! I almost forgot to tell you! Nathan and I were wondering if we could stay here for the summer?" she asked quietly. "Seeing as Helga is entering highschool and the baby will need to meet his or her grandparents. We'll pay for groceries and I'll cook until I can't but I want all of my family there for the birth of my first child. Please?" she said with a watery voice and tears in her eyes. His face softened at the sight of his twenty-five year old pregnant daughter crying at the thought of him declining. With a sigh, he gives in.

Meanwhile Helga and Nathan are having a silent conversation.

"WHAT?! I canNOT spend a whole summer with Olga, you know that!" She mentally yelled at him. Nathan shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I learned the hard way to never argue with a pregnant woman." he mentally responded.

Back to the original program

"Oh, alright Olga. The girl will have the room ready for you and the boy." Bob said.

"Oh no not yet daddy, we have to get the rest of our stuff here so we're going back to the house to pack some more and prepare." Olga said. Bob's expression brightened and Miriam finally returned from where she was to just hear the end of the conversation.

"Oh that's wonderful Olga! The longer your here the better prepared you'll be!" Miriam exclaimed.

After a few more minutes of conversation Olga and Nathan decided it they had to catch her flight. Everyone shared hugs at the door. Sad good-byes and one joyful 'see ya!' was exchanged before Nathan bent low to hug Helga. She just stood there, surprised that he actually hugged her despite of what he would normally do. She felt something fall into her right hand before he got up and waved them good-bye. She went to the window to see them leave like she always did, and right before they entered the taxi Nathan winked at her through the window.

_"What?_" she thought. The object was soft and plush to the touch. She turned it over and looked at the Raggedy Anne doll that lay in her hands. The yarn was tightly woven along her body and blue dress. Her mouth was buttoned shut, the ruby-red yarn that hung from the top of her head was plush and soft, and the eyes were shiny and black, so much that you Helga easily missed the little surprise they held inside. The red bow was dotted with small black dots that seemed to sink into the ribbon and take her curiosity with it.

With a shrug she started upstairs to place the gift upstairs in her room when a large mass blocked her way. Helga looked up to see her father menacingly glaring her down from the second step of the staircase. He lowered himself to her eye level to where she could clearly see the dark bags sagging underneath his eyes. "If you and that shrimp Olga chose as a husband do _anything_ to wreck my time, you won't just suffer." Bob said in a dark, low voice before scoffing and raising himself up again. "I'm going to back to bed." and with that he left her standing at the bottom of the steps with a dark scowl and wet eyes.

* * *

Cindy's sleepover had come to a close after Libby ate breakfast and joined her Girl Scout's group. She was now jogging to the park with music buds in her ears, deafening the rest of nature around her. The short-sleeved shirt and training shorts she was wearing shifted on her as the sweat made it uncomfortable to run, but she wasn't a quitter.

_"I'm a Vortex, 'quit' isn't part of my vocabulary." _she thought as she continued her trek, too concentrated to notice the presence of the new arrival.

"Hey...Cindy..." Carl wheezed as he ran next to her jog. He hadn't changed much, still quite large and round for his age but he tried to lessen his weight.

"Oh, hey Carl." Cindy replied. The sweat drenched boy looked at her for a moment with the best look of surprise he could muster with the little energy he had.

"How are... you able to... do this... so...easily?" he struggled to get out between staggered breaths.

"Practice."

"Well...why?" she asked once they reached the park. He fell down and wheezed in air before taking a large amount of his inhaler to ease the asthma. Cindy placed her hands over her head and relaxed for a few moments before answering.

"I'm trying out for the Retroville High School Track team next year."

"Really? I was thinking of trying out for the football team next year!" he exclaimed excitedly. Cindy raised in eyebrow in surprise.

"Are you sure Carl? I mean, you can try out and I'll support you for your choice, but..just...don't give your hopes up okay?" she said sympathetically. His happy expression instantly deflaited.

"I know." then he smiles a little. "But thanks for being behind me. Sheen doesn't think I can do it.".

"He should at least support you, the Ultradork needs just as much help and support as you do." she said cooly. The smile on Carl's face widened.

"Well that's what Jimmy's for.". Cindy slightly paled at the mention of her next door neighbor. The boy across the street had always had such an effect on her, but now it was becoming harder to hide these reactions from the simple mention of his name to the very few times he would speak to her with respect. Carl was oblivious to this reaction to Cindy's relief as he continued the conversation. "Cindy can I ask you a question?".

"You just did."

"Haha! Well can I ask you a personal question?" he asked nervously.

"How personal?" she asked slowly while eyeing him. He began to sweat immensely again as he stuttered to form his sentence.

"Well i-it has something to do with... someone else also." he spoke softly.

"Who else?" Cindy asked cautiously. She could see his a lump protruding in his neck skin travel down his throat.

"J-Jimmy." he squeaked, raising his arms in protection of the harsh words sure to come. It was surprising to them both when she donned a look af calm curiosity.

"Go ahead, but I can't promise any good answers.".

"Why-" his question was interrupted by a loud crash and the ground shook. Cindy and Carl turned to look at the turned over hovercar with smoke emanating from the bottom and a boy in a purple shirt and blue jeans stagger out covered in sut. The people around the area didn't flinch at the crash, but they did compain at the slight damage done to the park.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" Sheen said in a voice as wobbly as his walk. Then a boy in a lab coat and his mechanical canine sprinting over to Sheen.

"Sheen... how many times.. do I have to tell you... not to mess with the equipment in my lab?!" Jimmy panted exhausted. "Oh, hi Carl." he said warmly, noticing his large friend. "Vortex." he stated simply, aggravating her.

"I know Jimmy but I was bored and hungry and wanted the quickest way to the Candy Bar." Sheen reasoned.

"You could have, oh I don't know, walked?!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms in exaggeration. Sheen just sighed, placed his hands on his hips, and shook his head.

"Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. Haven't you realized that I don't run? Unless it was for Ultralord, or the New Ultralord action figure, and especially for-" his attention was drawn away by the closest moving object in the park. "Squirrel! You come back here!" and with that he chased the squirrel. The young teens watched him try to catch the squirrel and hurt himself until he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Anyway," Cindy replied slowly, attempting to ease the rapid beats of her exercised heart as she looked from Jimmy to Carl. "what was it you wanted to as me Carl?".

"Oh yeah! I guess it's better now that Jimmy is here too." Carl said.

"What now Carl?" Jimmy asked exhausted. Carl felt kind of uncomfortable as Jimmy continued his rant. "You have been interrogating me all day with these questions but never gave me a reason about why. So what now Carl. What?".

Cindy was, to say at the least, surprised at the new way Jimmy treated shy sweet Carl. The tone he used was more of an irritated father than an annoyed friend, something you shouldn't use on someone as sensitive to as much as harsh whispering. Carl had slightly coward into his own little ball with a light quiver in his lip, and these results didn't make Cindy very happy about Jimmy's new attitude today.

"Nice going Neutron, you upset him!" Cindy exclaimed, standing to her full height which now allowed her to looked the boy genius directly in the eye. She could see the slight specks of indigo that rest on the outskirts of baby blue orbs. She could see the intelligence he obtained, the little troubles he's been through, and the anger darkening his eye color as he began to narrow them.

"What would you know Vortex, you've always been mean to him!" he snapped.

"Well at least I had enough decency to know when I've crossed the line!" she retorted back. Like many other times they fought, they began to subconsciously step closer to one another.

"Who are you to say I don't know my own limits?"

Step.

"Who's to say? Your record!"

Step.

"What record?"

Step.

"The record of all your inventions gone haywire, the record of people who were injured when your inventions went haywire, the record of times we had to save your butt, the record of all the times we almost got killed, not injured but killed, trying ot save your butt, the record of all the times Carl and Sheen have been used as guinea pigs for your experiments," She counted in her fingers," I mean the list of your harmful screw ups can go on!".

Step. Silence.

"I have solved all of those and you know it! I've done everything I can to keep this town safe from any danger coming from anywhere!".

Step.

"Says the idiot who just had his hovercar jacked by his crazy friend and crashed into a tree! That's really keeping everyone safe."

Step.

By now they were so close people would be having second thoughts about what the conversation was about. Their heated breathe entangled in the space left between them and their eyes were narrowed down to nearly needle thin slits as they glared each other down. This war would have continued of it were not for the reason of argument budding in.

"U-um it's alright Cindy, I'm just gonna go home. Bye you guys." he said and left not soon after. His voice broke Cindy's concentration and she blinked looking into the livid eyes of her competitor.

"Huh? Carl?". She looked around for the round boy who just left before shrugging it off. "He must have gone home.". Cindy looked ahead to find Jimmy still glaring, albeit a lot softer, in her direction before he spoke once more.

"Everyday Vortex. Do you even know why we go through this every day?" he asked angrily. Before she could retort, the setting sun cast one last shadow on Jimmy's face and her eyes widened in realization.

"Shoot, it's already late! I need to go!" she said in a rush and began to run off until a large hand grabbed her forearm.

"Don't run from the question Cindy, do you know why?" he pressed on.

_"I really don't have the time for this."_ Cindy thought. "Neutron I;m serious. I need to now."

"Not until you answer the question.".

"Neutron let me go!" she struggled to wring her way out of his grip but he tightened it the more she moved. Eventually it got so tight she had no choice but to answer the question, now having to sprint home most likely with a landmark imprint forming on her upper arm.

"Please." he pleaded. She was silent for a moment, looking away from him and towards the ground.

"I don't know." she responded quietly and slowly. He let his grasp on her go and she could feel his eyes on her as she ran away from him.

* * *

I would like to thank all the people on the United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Spain, and every other country that looked at my first One-shot. Thank you all 145 visitors, 132 viewers, and the people who actually REVIEWED that story! Now only if I could get people to review this...


	7. Two Weeks of Mayhem: Sunday

Must I do a disclaimer?

* * *

The Pataki's weren't ones to go to church on Sunday morning, or at all. They were rarely religious. So the usual Sunday activities consisted of watching

football on the television, sleeping on the couch, and either being cooped up in your room or outside doing something.

This Sunday was different.

Bob had picked up an extra shift at the Beeper Emporium, leaving Miriam alone in the house with Helga. Helga herself had left a few hours later stating," You can take care of yourself, right Miriam? I'm going out.", and left without waiting for her mother's response.

So Miriam Pataki was all alone.

She snapped awake after Helga shut the front door and was now frantically trying to place where she was.

"Wha-? Who's there?". Her voice was soft and quiet, but loud enough to echo through the empty house. "Helga? B? Anyone?".

Silence.

"I guess they all left." she mumbled quietly. Looking around the living room once more, she was about to reach for her smoothie when she saw the newspaper folded neatly underneath it.

HELP WANTED

NACY SPUMONY WAREHOUSE WORKERS NEEDED

CALL 678-999-8212 FOR INFORMATION ON APPLICATIONS

Miriam stared at the ad for a good five minutes. _"Would B mind that it if I got a job? How would Helga react?" _she thought doubting her decision. She was about to put it down when a thought came to mind, and a determined look that rarely ever crossed her features came upon her face. _"I will do it. I'll do for you baby girl."_, and with that thought in mind she dialed the number, took a shower, and walked out of the house.

As she walked down the street, many people looked at her. Some from windows who were enjoying the light summer breeze, others on the street in hot sweaty business suits, even to the kids playing jump rope on the sidewalk slowed down their game to stare at her.

_"Why is everyone looking at me?"_

"Who's that?"

"I don't know."

"Could it be...?"

"Nah, she left _years_ ago."

It seems as though the whole _town _was talking about her. Distant neighbors would whisper behind her back when she passed them, and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Unlike her secretive allies, Miriam never liked the attention, and she was starting to feel self-conscious of herself.

_"Do I really spend THAT much time inside?" _she thought. As the questioning voices of the adults and children began to enrapture her head, her pace quickened to a slight jog. _"The place shouldn't be this fa-"._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the hard form of mass she had run into. She opened her eyes to see, but her vision was blurry without her glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miriam! Here, let me help you!" a light and joyous female with a slightly deep voice said. Miriam could feel a weathered hand take hers to lead her up and then place her glasses back on her face.

"Thanks Stella." Miriam could see Stella standing up with her and surrounded by snack bags. "I'm sorry, did I do that? I was in a hurry to get where I was going I didn't even see you."

Stella smiled. "No problem. I was just gathering more snacks for me and the family to have when we move."

"I hope you all have a safe trip. Now if you excuse me, I have to make a job interview." Miriam said in a rush. As she sped down the streets she could faintly hear Stella shouting a 'good luck' to her. She made it at the appointed time: 8:00 a.m., but the line for the register was long. The store itself was pretty large itself, second largest to her husband's business. From the clear windows every man and woman could see shelves upon shelves of the designer shoes. People walked inside the bright red and god building wearing silk loose red sits and gold shoulder length wigs to hide their hair. The carpet was a beautiful magenta (purple for those who don't care) and it was extremely soft to the point that all of the employees were barefoot. Once inside, Miriam saw just how magnificent the department store was. There was a catwalk on the back of the wall where customers were trying on the shoes while the latest Rhythm and Blues music played over the loud speakers.

To put all of it in one term: hangout.

The store was packed with teenagers, most of which were wearing stuff that would have slapped Miriam sober if she had ever seen Helga wearing clothing like that. The girls were from Helga's age to about late teens and all wore shorts that ended where they started. Their tops were tied back in a knot at the end, showing off a toned midriff. The boys had either a t-shirt or a tank top with some kind of slang imprinted on it, and their pants were sagging half way down their calves. _"Note to self: Inspect Helga's closet.". _She thought.

"Hello and welcome to The Nancy Spumoni Shoe Warehouse. How may I assist you madam?" the cashier asked in a low, fake, nasal voice and French accent.,

"Hello. Yeah, I'm here for the ad about new workers. Can I get a resume?" she looked at his nametag. "Jantel?"

"It's Jantel."

"Chan-tel?"

"_Jantel._ Sha-n-tell." he scolded in an aggravated tone." And if you want a job here then you are going to have to fill this out.". He handed her the resume and guided her to the side of the warehouse with a soft push couch.

"Thank you." Miriam replied quietly. She went to where she was directed and began to answer the questions, oblivious to the costumer's odd glances. After five minutes, she went back to Jantel and turned in her resume.

"Let's have a look, shall we?".

Name: Miriam V. Pataki  
Gender: Female  
Age: 40  
Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor?: No  
If so, explain: N/A  
Have you ever been convicted for a felony?: No  
If so, explain: N/A  
Are you a high school graduate?: Yes  
If so, what high school?: West Hillwood High  
Are you a college graduate?: No  
If so, what college?: N/A  
Cellphone number: 771-312-4845

"I'll send this to the boss in the main office. Good- bye now." he said calmly, yet still a little angered.

"Bu-"

"I said good-bye, Miss Pataki. We will give you a call if you got the position." Jantel scolded with a scowl before changing back to his cool demeanor. Miriam looked at him for a second more before leaving the warehouse. She heard him yell "Next." to the next high paying customer, but she didn't see him throw away the resume.

Judy Neutron was cleaning her house, something she did in her home every day. Porcelain ducks were being dusted along with the blinds, peach pie was being cooked to perfection in the oven, and the windows were being cleaned to crystal clarity. As she used a paper towel to rub away the liquid solution, her vision became clear to the sight before her.

Sasha Vortex was walking to her house with...Cindy?

Something like this has never happened in the history of the quarreling Neutron's and Vortex's families. The woman was always nasty and rude, too prestigious for her own good. Where was the father? Judy knew he had some influence on the airlock family since Sasha didn't work yet the bills were getting paid, but he has never said a word nor made an appearance in Retroville for as long as she could remember. And Cindy...that child had been pressured into perfection by that woman and had grown a similar attitude. Although the arch nemesis of her son academically, athletically, and socially, Judy had to feel sorry for the poor little girl who wasn't allowed to cherish her childhood when she had it like she should have. _"Why are they coming over? Especially on a Sunday_?" Judy thought.

"What's wrong, sugarbooger?" Hugh Neutron asked from behind his wife.

"Sasha and her daughter are coming.".

Silence.

"Hm, I wonder why they would be visiting us of all people. Get Jimmy down here please." She says in a rushed but urgent voice. She heard Hugh run up the stairs and call for Jimmy before the doorbell rang throughout the house.

"_Calm down, Judy. You can always kick her out if they go too far. Just act civil."_ Taking one last deep breath she opened her house door to meet the two Vortex's.

"Hello Judy," Sasha looked at Judy with a smile before turning to Hugh with a faltering smile, "Hugh," Then her gaze settled on Jimmy, "and Jimmy.". All of the Neutrons were standing there with hanging mouths and wide eyes, making the two forced-smiling neighbors to fidget uncomfortably. There was an awkward silence for about a whole two minutes( which was really only 30 seconds) before someone decided to do something about it.

"What do you want?" Jimmy bluntly asked.

"Jimmy!"

"Now Jimbo, we aren't rude to guests." Hugh politely scolded.

"Please, come in." Judy said.

Once everyone was sitting in the living room, another awkward silence filled the air. Judy, Hugh, Jimmy, and Goddard all stared at Cindy and Sasha, who sat on the couch while they stood. Everyone and everything was so silent it was almost abnormally quiet, as if some unspoken rule had been broken.

_Ding_

The sound of the pie timer going off made everyone jump in surprise.

"I think I'll go check on the pie…" Judy trailed off as she slowly got up and sped-walked into the kitchen to take care of her business.

"W-wait up, sugerbooger!" Hugh called out before he, too, left the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Can you tell me where the bathroom is please?" Sasha asked in a mixture of curiosity, kindness, and command in her voice.

"It's upstairs first door to the left." Jimmy said distractedly. Sasha seemed to have sprinted up the steps from how quickly she had left the room.

And then there were two…

"So…" Cindy trailed off, attempting to somehow reduce some of the tension in the air. Before she could continue, Jimmy cut her off.

"You don't know?".

"Huh?".

"You said you don't know. What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously.

"When did I every say that?". Now he was getting on her nerves and she knew since this was _his_ house, she couldn't do a thing about it.

"Yesterday at the park before you ran off.", Cindy was silent in thought. After she ran off that night, she ate dinner and went to bathe. She snuck into her room and locked the door before hanging so her mother wouldn't see the hand imprints that were left on her forearm. All night she thought about the young inventor who had a surprising amount of strength. She thought about his curiosity, what that look in his eyes was that twinkled only to her when they fought, how his large hands left her forearms tingling at the touch, and before she knew it, it was sunrise. The sun cast rays of light in her sleep deprived eyes and she had just found enough peace in herself to nod off to sleep before her mother told her to get up and prepare to see the Neutrons. Small, tan bags were currently under her eyes and the restless night was really starting to drag down on her alertness, but Jimmy's question just woke her up more.

"Look Neutron-"

"You look tired. Are you okay?" the boy interrupted her again. He leaned forward, which caused their fingers to brush but he didn't notice as he inspected her bloodshot eyes with narrowed blue orbs. Cindy held her breathe the entire time as he only made a few centimeters of space between them.

"I'm fine Neutron." She said and shoved him away from her. If he had listened closely she swore he might have heard how fast her heart was beating or how shallow and staggered her breathing had become.

For a second, he donned a look of slight annoyance and she feared she had made the wrong move, but he sighed and got up before offering his hand."Follow me Vortex." He said once she was up. He pulled her upstairs, not letting go of her hand once, until they reached Jimmy's room. The place hadn't changed much, except for the chain in posters that adorned the walls with his multiple inventions. Cindy began getting nervous at the situation at hand. "_It's just nerves" _she thought._ "He wouldn't do anything crazy, right?_"

"Cindy calm down. I'm just offering you a place to sleep for a while." Jimmy said calmly. He led her to one side of his blue bed and pulled back the covers before letting go of her hand. Cindy just stared at the empty space that looked so inviting before turning back to the boy.

"Neutron if you think that I'm going to be okay with being sucked into another dimension then-"

"It's not a trick Cindy, you look wiped out. Just get some rest, I'll wake you up when you need to go home." He said with an honest voice. She hesitated once more, thinking of any logical explanation as to why he was now treating her so… respectfully? Yeah, that'll do.

"If I wake up with something-"

"I already told you this wasn't a trick."

"Don't think this means I owe you anything!"

"Cindy, why are you being so difficult? I'm offering you a place to sleep, something I can tell you haven't done in a while. Don't you trust me?" His voice wasn't aggravated or annoyed, heck it wasn't even impatient. It sounded bewildered and most of all hurt. His blue orbs were showering her in sorrow and she immediately felt great remorse from her proclamations. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just hasn't seen his good side in so long she forgot what it looked like.

She hesitated one more time before slowly climbing into the bed and asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Jimmy chuckled and gave her a small, nearly invisible but honest smile after pulling up his covers over her. "Goodnight Cindy."

* * *

By the time Cindy woke up it was pitch black outside. The room was dark and the only light was the luminescence of the metallic devices that hung in the moonlight, almost appearing to be floating. She sat up and stretched until she hit her limit, allowing herself looked around and catch her bearings.

This wasn't her room.

She was about to freak out and scream before she remembered all that went down before a piece of hair touched the pillow and everything else became history. Cindy still felt guilty for making him think that she didn't trust him enough to sleep where he slept every night. I made her blush knowing that she just slept, probably for hours, right where he-

Hours.

"My mother's gonna kill me! And it's a school night!" She jumped out of the bed, landing on her side with a 'thump'. Just as she was about to get up, the bedroom door opened and she froze. \

"Cindy, you have to wake- Cindy?" a soprano voice rang out throughout the walls of the room. Cindy shot up from her spot on the ground to find Jimmy at the door a few yards away.

"What time is it?!"

"About 9:30. Our mothers aren't finished talking but I think that you should come down." He hesitantly said. They could both hear aggravated tones coming from downstairs; two female voices battling it out and one nervous male voice attempting to get his say.

That's not good.

The two rushed downstairs in a quiet flurry of steps before stopping at the top of the stairwell, just high enough for them to listen, hear, and keep hidden.

"-unjust! I know your raising her but this is just unnecessary punishment!"Judy's voice rang out angrily. Never before has Jimmy- scratch that, anyone- heard such a rage come from the cool headed woman. "This is why you don't have any friends! You dictate everything and anything anyone does. We can't stand up right, we can't bake right, and we don't have enough scholar schools, the list just goes on for you! And the ironic part of it is you don't know anything about your daughter!"

"Says the woman who's 'genius'" Sasha used air quotes with her fingers to emphasize 'genius', "son has nearly destroyed the town and endangered the citizens how many times? Honestly, you'd think someone would have enough sense in this town to set _restrictions_ for the kid."

"Just because he's different doesn't mean he can't be in this town! Last time I checked, this is a free country with bills to boot and as long as no one is getting hurt, we can be whoever the hell we want to be!". Judy and Sasha were eyeing each other with such a ferocity it made both kids shudder.

"Newsflash: He has hurt people in the process of his failure! He should be locked because of all of the things that ran through that horrid head of his alone! And don't you dare tell me how to raise my daughter! She is a beautiful, well rounded child who just happens to have a disorder of involuntary actions. At least then when she does something stupid, she'll have a good reason! Your kid is just being himself when he fails." Sasha said darkly. Cindy's eyes widened and her head whipped over to Jimmy, who was scowling darkly at the dark haired woman. She could practically see his forming a dark cloud, but also the sadness in knowing that it was half true. Some people, mainly Carl and Sheen, would get injured when he was testing out his new inventions, but they were always good as new in the end.

Judy's face contorted into an extremely dark, almost lethal, scowl as she stared Sasha Vortex down. "Get out." She mumbled.

Hugh, who had stopped looking at the two women to notice the two pairs of feet at the top of the stairwell and widened his eyes, took this silence to advance. "Will you ladies please quiet down?"

"No"

"Absolutely not" They said at the same time.]

Hugh gave a tired sigh. "Well, can you at least give the children some pie to settle in their tummies before they go to bed?" The two women looked him with confused expressions before they followed the path of Hugh's pointed finger to the wide eyed faces of both children.

"Cynthia" Sasha gasped before her shocked and almost guilty look turned into one of anger."Cynthia Aurora Vortex, how dare you listen on into an adult conversation?" Jimmy could see the visible gulp she made and how rigid she became at her mother's tone of voice before relaxing a bit seconds later.

"I woke up and he sent me down here so we could go home. It is Sunday." She replied quietly. The usual confidence in her voice was missing, something upset the boy behind her.

"Yes. Let's go home. It is already late and you have school in the morning." Cindy jumped off of the steps before following her mother's retreating form without a single good-bye or thank you.

The whole house looked with different expressions at the now occupied pink house across the street. The woman in green held her scowl firm and her fist clenched in tight fist, the duck loving man had eyes wide with fear, and the young blue eyed boy looked in sadness. Eventually everyone got ready for a well-needed rest in their beds.

Over at the Vortex residence, the same was happening to the occupants. Cindy fell into her cool bed and got underneath her covers, thinking about the whole debacle until she knew she would be suffering another night of thought. She turned her head out the window towards the boy who clawed at her mind day and night. She saw all of the lights out, making too dark to see anything.

"Thank you for caring, Neutron." She said quietly to herself before her eyelids became sheets of lead and shut for the night.

The room was too dark to see a boy hugging a pillow close to his chest and a peaceful smile on his face. The streets were too dark to find the pair of large black eyes just above them watching silently, only slightly shown by the crescent moon's glow.

* * *

INTERNET LIFE SUCKED! Spring storms and parties and CRCT and homework! The internet was out for three weeks! I'm making another one-shot so stay tight for that. Does anyone think they know what thos eyes that keep watching them are? I would love to read your opinion. Also, whoever read this and decided to follow it at 11:59 pm, I was dancing in the dark because of you! Thank you!

Until next time...


	8. Two Weeks of Mayhem: Monday

You guys seem to have taken a liking to my one-shot stories. Thank you all.

This chapter will go throughout the week in both settings.

Craig Bartlett declarith in me that I am not the owner of either shows.

* * *

**M**

"So," Phoebe said Monday morning as her and Helga passed through the school's hallways. " how yesterday morning?".

"Oh, it was amazing Phoebe! I have to tell you why later since we're in public." Helga said, but her friend cut her off.

"I was the last one to leave, just to make sure you didn't get into too much trouble. I saw everything Helga! I can't believe he did that!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly. Helga looked around at the other students in the thinning hallway before letting a small smile break through.

"I know! And that was only the icing on the cake! Olga and Nathan came and guess what? I'm going to be aunty!" she exclaimed quietly, although the energy in her voice made it more of a loud whisper.

"That stupendous, Helga!" Phoebe gasped. As they walked into class, every girl turned their attention to the two with a slight pause. The whole class was practically quiet, all except for one voice out of the crowd.

"And then- Charlene, are you eve listening?" Betty Quinlin said before she followed the lost girl's gaze. A fake smile played its way on her face. "Hello Helga."

"Betty." Helga spat. Phoebe looked up at her best friend with worried, tempting eyes, but Helga merely nodded her head. Phoebe took her seat in the front of the class as Helga took hers. Everyone watched with some interest at the two rivals in their daily morning ritual.

"Honestly, why are you always so rude? You always show me a nasty face. And then you scowl on top of it..." she trailed off with a falsely innocent voice. The few boys in the room snickered and others widened their eyes at the daring girl with fluttering eyelashes.

"You know," Helga retorted not missing a beat."you don't always disgust me. You have actually made me somewhat happy since you've been here." she finished in fake sincerity. Betty, not catching onto this, and the audience's stared at her with shocked expressions.

"Really? How?!"

"Ever since you brought you're nasty face around here people have thought it's Halloween." The crowd 'oohed' at the pigtail girl's retort. Before Betty had a chance to say anything back, the bell rang and the teacher ran into the room with papers flying out of his hand.

"Good Morning class!" Mr. Phleggers, the 8th grade math teacher, said in a stressed tone. He had spiked up plight brown hair and a pretty chiseled face. His features wer sharp and his head was more long than most. He had slack shoulders and a definite build of chest that always seemed to shape his shirts. This year ws only his second year of teaching, so everyone was used to him rushing in the mornings with papers flying. None of the boys could see it, but a good number of the female population held a candle for the new guy.

"Let me help you with that, Mr. Phleggers." Phoebe said shyly.

"No, I'll do it!" a girl said, getting up.

"No, let me!" another girl said, eventually catching up with the first girl. They began fighting over papers on the floor before the teacher stopped them.

"It's alright girls. I appreciate the support, but I can handle it. Please sit down. " he said in an exasperated deep voice. The two girls glared at each other before sitting back in their seats and slightly melting at his voice. Class went on and before anyone knew it, the bell rung. Three more classes went by like this with cluttered hallways and small interactions before lunch came. Helga had learned a while ago, when the situation at home only seemed to worsen, to not derpend on Miriam when it comes to certain things. Instead, she rationed her birthday and Christmas money from last year and depended on that to feed her.

Helga walked from the food line with Phoebe on her side as they went to enjoy another secluded lunch, however, the mob of girls in short skirts and tight shirts invading the small round table proved otherwise.

"Saturday night was awesome!"

"Sunday morning."

"Best attack on the boys since the sleepover!"

Can you teach me how to dance, Helga?"

"Where did you guys get the blouses?"

Questions and comments of Helga's little prank were shot from left and right at the two. Phoebe heard a comment about her outfit that made her blush and put her head down in shyness, while Helga scowled at all the attention their table was receiving. She was just about to lash out all of them and tell them to mind their own business when an irate brunette made a gap in the space across from the two girls. She looked Helga's way and shot invisible daggers at Helga's invincible shield.

"C2"

"The Sequel"

"This is the second time your clown-face gave such amazement it interrupted my conversation!" Betty steamed. It seems that only around faculty was Betty ever civil to the blonde headed girl.

"Oh please, Quinlin. I'm only saving them from the horror of death by boredom." Helga replied smoothly.

"You know this is exactly why boys don't pay attention to you. You are far to big-mouthed for your own good!" Betty fumed. The two girls were gaining quite a crowd from this, even some of the boys eavesdropped on the conversation.

"Unlike you I don't need someone watching my every move. I have spine, thank you very much"

"I hope you know how big this room is, and just how easily that spine of yours can break." she threatened.

"I don't know about that Quinlin," Helga sneered." Your ego might just cushion your fall."

"You'd wish-"

"I'd wish that all of these people would go back to their tables because there's nothing to see here!"Helga shouted.

"Aww, is someone afraid of getting beat up in fron tof her fans?" Bety cooed in a baby voice. Some of the girls said back-u[ statements while the others watched Helga intently.

"I just know that most of these poeple can barely stand the sight of blood, and I don't want the janiters waking them up with dirty water from mopping your ugly face off the floor." Helga finished. Before a retort could come the bell rung, signalling the end of lunch. Helg stuffed her half eaten sandwich in her mouth as she threw the rest of her tray away. She and Phoebe watched as Betty fummed out of the cafeteria, pushing some girls out of the way to make a path for herself.

"Helga why do you always do this? And why does she call you C2 all the time?" Phoebe aked as they began to exit out ofthe cafeteria.

"I don't know. And the C2 thing is like why I call her the Sequel; we weren't good enough to be the original but we're pretty damn close." Helga answered before she and Phoebe went hteir seperate ways.

* * *

"I know I'm not sick, Libby. Yes I have anger issues, but I take karate for that!" Cindy complained on her way to her locker with her AFrican American accomplice by her side.

"Wait, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you guys willingly went to the Neutrons. Thats just..." Libby trailed off in thought. Cindy gave a tired sigh before opening her locker and taking books out for her next class.

"I just have this wierd feeling that something's going on.". Finally brought out of thought, Libby redirected her attention to her friend.

"Yeah, you're mom wouldn't lie to protect nothing."

"I meant recently." Cindy explained."I mean ever since the sleepover we had last weekend, I've been having this feeling of exposure. Almost like someone's _watching_ me." she whispered teh last part as she closed her locker door.

"Why good morning, Mrs. Vortex." a voice said from where her locker door once covered. There stood Estitch with an arm wrapped around the wiast of Lila Sawyer, his girlfriend of about half the school year.

"How ever so do you do?" she said in an annoyingly sweet voice and fake smile tha made Cindy cringe on the inside.

"Lila, Estitch, what do you want form Cindy?" Libby sighed. She was seriously musically drained and it was taking a tone of energy not pulling out her earbuds and just taking the detention slip. Estitch feigned hurt by gasping overdramatically.

"Why on heaven's name would you think that I would ask of anything from you!? Can't we jsut get over that little fiasco we had a few years back and start over?" he finished with what was supposed to be a general smile. Cindy looked at the clock and saw that the bell was about to ring, so seh had to make this quick.

"Look, whatever it is you want say it now and get out of our faces, Estitch."

"Very well then." he said snootly. "Lila will you do the honors?"

"Of course." she replied in her false honey voice. " You're invited to our little graduation party we're ahving at his house this Saturday Night. Come dressed in usual clothing because it's going to be a masquerade. Gowns and masks will be provided, but you can still bring your own." she finished, handing both girl glittered consract paper.

You are officially invited to

"The Sawyer Soirée"

Dated May 31, 2013

Located at the Estitch Residential Mansion

This dance is a formal dance, so come dressed properly. Gowns and masks will be given out to those who cannot bring their own.

The following are not allowed at the party:

Jeans

Skirts

Mini skirts

T shirts

Tank Tops

Flip Flops

Sneakers

Any clothing of the sort will be nicely taken up and placed in a secured place.

"I really hope you join us on this joyous occasion of commemorating the-"

"Yeah, yeah, Estitch. We need to go to class." And with that Cindy and Libby bolted out of the hallway and into their Language Arts class.

* * *

Short Chapters! I know! I appreciate the 277 viewers, i really do! I'm also thikning of dibble dabbling into Adventure Time and Kickin It! so watch out for those please. Read some more of my oneshots, I posted two new ones just for you guys!

Until Next time...


	9. Two Weeks of Mayhem: Tuesday

Chapter 10 is on the way. No reviews, but here to stay!

* * *

**Tuesday**

Another day had gone and Helga was sitting outside on the school bench during lunch. Phoebe was asked by Gerald to a 'lunch date', which was basically them sitting together. After battling with a loyal Phoebe, Helga had convinced her to go saying, "Go before you kill Geraldo with curiosity. As a matter of fact, don't leave." Now she sat here alone outside of the school building.

A rat suddenly scurried out from under the bench and through Helga's legs, the grey fur lightly tickling her ankles.

"AHHHHHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped on top the bench. She cringed and scowled at the rodent that was currently feasting on her spilled lunch. Her nose scrunched up and her face distorted in disgust as it kept eating. "SHOO! Go away you little pest!" she exclaimed, successfully startling the rat and led it scurrying away.

In the background, Helga could hear heavy breathing. Her face went from relieved to angered as she stomped her foot down on the bench. She jumped off and swiveled around to meet the perpetrator. "Brainy, I thought we talked about this already-"

"Hey…Helga."

"Arnold! What the-? How did you-?" Helga stuttered while a breathless Arnold panted for air. Gradually, she collected herself enough to finish a sentence. "How many times must I tell you not to sneak up on me? You're starting to act like…someone I know." She said.

"I didn't see you in the cafeteria, so I came out here." He responded after he caught his breathe. "That's when I heard you scream." Then he looked down at the food splattered on the ground. Helga followed his eyes and growled a bit at the situation.

"Well that's just great!"she spat sarcastically."That stupid, rancid rat ruined my lunch."

Before she could do anything else, Arnold pulled out a plastic bag from his jacket pocket. "Here, have my sandwich." He offered.

"No Arnoldo, I'm not taking your food like some helpless bimbo."

That wasn't a question, Helga." He said in a stern tone that shocked Helga, but she was good at hiding it. Helga took the sandwich from him after some questioning looks with a mumbled 'thank you' until she remembered the previous conversation.

"Why would you want to look for me?" She asked.

"I wanted to invite you to my party. I want to see everyone and have the best time with them before I leave."

She wished it wasn't true. His parents found a better school system that also said, and she quotes from the resume, "absolute fun and completely safe!". Whatever that was supposed to mean to them, it meant him doing the one thing she risked her life and wealth upon only four short years ago.

"It's this Thursday if you want to come, since I'll be leaving on Saturday." He said quietly. He pulled out a piece of construction paper and handed it to her. Fighting back the inner emotional turmoil in her stomach, she accepted it and looked at it defiantly.

"Football Hea-"

"Just… at least think about it Helga." Arnold sighed in defeat, and turned around to leave. Once he was out of earshot, Helga whispered her answer.

"I will try my love. I will try."

* * *

"Settle down, you little PESTS!" Mrs. Monroe, their English teacher, yelled at the noisy class. Everyone turned in their seats and silently waited for the teacher's next command. "It's about time you brats shut up." She mumbled. The brown haired, brown eyed middle aged woman wearing a blood red sundress went behind her desk and pulled out a tall stack of papers onto her desk. "Today I will be passing out last week's tests. "

"Awww" the class groaned.

"SHUT UP! Just because most of you are failures that can't understand good literature doesn't mean you all are." She scolded as she began dispersing the papers. Many sighs and defeated noises of failure echoed throughout the classroom, all the while Mrs. Monroe was scowling at the students in disapproval. That is, until she came to Cindy.

"Another job well done, Cindy!" she said cheerily with a beaming smile. Cindy smiled in return, a gloating session already on the tip of her tongue.

"Why thank you Mrs. Monroe."

The warm smile on Mrs. Monroe's face vanished _immediately_ when she turned around to meet the face of the local boy genius. Placing his grade on the desk with a horrid scowl she said, "Maybe you should get help from Ms. Vortex, Mr. Neutron." And left.

Jimmy groaned in annoyance before looking at his grade with wide eyes. His mouth slacked and his hands were still as he clutched the sides of his paper. If he was hoping not to be noticed, well it was too late for that.

"What's wrong, Nerdtron? Is English class too difficult for the genius of Retroville?" Cindy taunted.

"Yeah Jimmy, what grade did you get?" Libby pressed on with her friend.

"None of your business, Vortex! My grade is my privacy." He growled.

"Getting secretive, are we now?" she said with fake innocence. Before he could react, Cindy grabbed his paper and handed it to Libby.

"Hey! Give it back!" he exclaimed.

"When your head shrinks!" shrill laughter came upon the room at Cindy's comment from those who were half listening to the conversation with mild interest. Cindy looked over at the paper with Libby and both girl's eyes widened in shock.

"A D-?" They exclaimed. The whole class became deathly silent and all eyes (excluding Mrs. Monroe's) were on the trio after a collected gasp emanated around the room.

"Dude!" Sheen said, coming up from behind Jimmy with Carl by his side and patting the traumatized teen's back. "Congrats!"

"Yeah Jimmy!" Carl said, " I wish I was as talented as you in this class!"

Everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter, even the teacher snickered at his misfortune. Jimmy looked around the room with fear plastered on his face until he came face to face with the blonde, who was holding his grade paper in one of her clutched hands as she was doubled over in laughter. His prey-like look became cynical and most predatory as she continued to laugh at his exposed failure

"I'll get you for this, Vortex." He spat, glaring at her in the most intimidating way he could. She calmed down a bit before answering.

"Well," she said, ignoring his words," looks like I can't call you 'Nerdtron' anymore." This only made the uproar of laughter increase. Students were holding each other for support, others like Sheen and Carl were falling onto the floor, their teacher herself was now leaning heavily on the edge of her wooden desk. His face grew red with anger and embarrassment.

"You just watch." Jimmy threatened before the bell rang and everyone ran out the door. Cindy calmed down afterwards and looked him in the eye before closing them again, this time with a fake smile. His eyes held such a ferocity of darkness it nearly scared Cindy out of her wits, and the tone of his voice matching his expression didn't help the slight tremble in her conscious.

"I highly doubt that." She said confidently, walking away from him and out of the classroom, "See ya, Spewtron!" When she was finally out, she released a trembling and began her trek home.

"Hey Cin!" Libby began, catching up to her. "That was some show you put on in there."

"Yeah, it was nothing." Cindy responded. The two walked in silence for a bit until Cindy's worries got the best of her.

"Cin, you okay?" Libby asked, seeing her friend's worried expression.

"Yeah…" Cindy trailed off, birthing an unconvinced look from Libby.

"Come on girl, I know you better than that." She protested. "What's _really_ the problem?"

"I was just thinking of how Neutron said he was going to get revenge on me." Cindy answered uneasily.

"Seriously?!" Libby scoffed at her assumptions. "He won't do that. He's said that before and has never done anything that drastic, I bet he's just mad. You can't think this is any different, alright?"

Cindy wished she could believe her best friend and joke around with her, but the vision of the enraged genius's eyes flashed before her in vivid detail.

"You just watch." His last words echoed through her head.

"You just watch."

* * *

I hope you guys read this. It has one like and thankfully two follows! I also like ents for all of my one-shots in the Hey Arnold Universe.


	10. ALERT!

**Dear Readers, **

**Due to lighting storms, hurricanes, and summer storms in my area, my internet is out. I am currently typing form another's use, but I am not able to upload my drive with new chapters of Blondes United, Infatuation, or Done In The Dark. I have no idea how much longer it will be out, so I am sending a quick message to all my followers. **

**Thank You and until better times, **

**Clia**


	11. Two Weeks of Mayhem: Wednesday

**Some Surprises lay in store in this chapter. I had to get a little out of my comfort zone for it.**

**Wednesday**

"Is anyone here?" Helga asked as she entered her abandoned house. "Oh course not. Hurry up and get in." she said, pushing the lightweight body into her home. The kid looks around before sniffing, attempting to control the flow of dark red blood oozing out of his nose.

"Thanks again for-*sniff* helping me Helga." The deep voice says, or deeper than an eighth grader's voice should be. Helga just shrugs in response.

"Don't mention it goggles."

"You're calling me goggles now?" the voice asks in amusement.

"Well I can't call you Wheezin' Ed, that's for sure." She responds , causing the male figure to laugh. A small smirk comes to Helga's face as she guides the boy into the kitchen. She leaves the boy to stare at the kitchen to retrieve the first aid kit. She comes back with a damp washcloth and the first aid kit in hand and begins to work on his nose.

"You have a nice house." He says as she works. He hisses when she dabbed at a particularly sensitive spot, making her jump back in surprise.

"Sorry." She mutters. After wiping away all of the blood she hands him two cotton balls. "Here, put these in."

"You know," he says after putting the cotton in his nose, "This whole situation is pretty funny."

"What's so funny about it?" she ask, raising part of an eyebrow.

"You would always strike me and leave me in some alleyway or where ever we were, but now you're helping me."

"I thought I told you not to mention it." Helga snapped.

"Sorry." He said unconvincingly. The two stood there in silence, Helga looking around him and him looking straight at her. Finally, Helga met the slightly taller boy's eyes.

"Sorry." She murmured.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't make me say it again." She snapped quietly.

"Why?" he asked hesitantly, his voice almost in a whisper from how quiet it was.

"I never knew you were being treated like this on top of what I usually put you through. Although you do deserve it for listening on my 'Me Time', I wouldn't have done it if I knew you were…" she quietly trailed off and looked down in guilt.

"Helga…"

"If I had known…" she began, shaking her head slowly.

"Helga…" the boy tried again, only to be interrupted once more.

"A-and all of those times I hit you out of anger. How much all of those glasses-"

"HELGA!" the boy shouted as he grabbed her chin and lifted it up so she could meet his eyes.

"-costs." She finished. She found him with a small smile on his face as he looked at her, and eyed him with slight suspicion and amazement.

"It's alright Helga. I'm fine." He said.

"No. You're not." She said, ripping his hand off of her chin as if it burned and stalked upstairs, him right on her tail. "I need to help."

"Helga…" the boy tried to ignore, but she just continued on.

"I can call the police!" and that made the boy snap.

"NO!" he said as he lunged towards her before she could reach the upstairs telephone. She fell down with him landing roughly on top of her, and used all of his weight to keep her down.

"OW! Let me go! I need to help, I need…to help. I need…' she trailed off as unwanted tears took advantage of the situation and fell from her eyes almost excruciatingly slowly. He put his hands on each side of her until she began reaching for the phone again. Now he had to put his hands on her wrists to keep them down.

If anyone was to come up and find them this way, they would have seen a boy hovering over a girl who had both of her wrists pinned above her head by said boy. His hair slightly hung down from his face. "Helga, I was fine before and I'll be fine now." He said calmly and reassuringly. She seemed to calm down enough to push him off of her and they both sat in the hallway. Then he looked down in uncertainty. "Plus I'm moving to Miami in a week. "

"Not you too!" Helga whined while getting up. The boy laughed at her childish behavior as she grumbled into her room. "Everyone is leaving me this summer."

"Well I don't go until the morning after Arnold's party. Speaking of which," he said, walking into her room and sitting on her bed, "are you going?"

Helga sighed. "I don't know yet. Bob may have 'plans' that night and-"

"I understand." He said with a slight smile. They stood there silently for a while, Helga mumbling things like 'where is everyone' and 'what's taking Miriam?' until she spoke up again.

"You know," her voice has soft and gentle, something that slightly startled the young man. "it feels kinda… okay… knowing that someone else truly understands some of the things I'm going through."

"Yeah, it always feels like a little relief."

"Yeah, but now you get to escape it." Just then Helga heard a voice enter the house.

Why is the door open? Helga!" Miriam's voice rung throughout the house. Helga and the unknown visitor's eyes bugged out as they looked at each other and then for a way out. "HELGA?!"

"WHAT MIRIAM?" Helga shouted back. She spotted the window right next to her bed and motioned the boy towards it. They silently began towards it and started lifting it open, welcoming a gust of hot afternoon summer air.

"DID YOU LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN?" Miriam shouted.

"Just jump onto that branch and make sure no one sees you" Helga whispered. 'YES MIRIAM. SORRY!" After that, all she heard was mumbling and some shuffling around. The boy looked out the window and climbed halfway out before stopping. "What?" Helga snapped.

"Just in case I don't get to say good-bye…"

And he kissed her. It was quick and so gentle that by the time Helga figured out what was going on, he was halfway down the road. She stared at his retreating form, thinking of how that sentence and the kiss may have held a double meaning. Moving to Miami didn't just mean she wouldn't be able to see or contact him anymore, he was setting them both free.

He was moving on and letting go.

She came out of her thoughts and closed the window at her mother's comments about the mess in the kitchen. "…happened? Did she get hurt? Why did she think it was alright to just leave this stuff here for us to find?"

**LineBreak**** Retroville**

Cindy and Libby were at the Candy Bar, waiting for waiter to come back with their two Cherry Bombers Ice cream delights. Libby and Cindy had both forgotten about yesterday as they laughed at the most recent thing of today.

"….and then he was talking about how women are always cold, even when it's like 9 billion outside." Libby laughed. "All he kept saying was, 'It's cold out here. It's cold out here. It's c-cold out h-he-ere!'" Then they both erupted into laughter, actually making quiet a scene until the waiter came with their food.

"Here you go" a pepperoni faced preteen said as he placed the ice cream down gently and coughed to avoid the voice crack that just happened. Both girl's looked up to be stunned at what they saw.

"Carl!" they both exclaimed and he smiled sheeply.

"Since when did you work here?" Cindy asked.

"Well, football camp isn't cheap, and my folks told me that high school is all about independence and how you affect other's, so they told me to get a job and work my way to football. Plus, I could use any extra money to buy the Ultra Llama Grooming game on Nintendo!"

"Wow Carl, it's…great that you got a job."

"And…you're definitely proving independence." Libby awkwardly chipped in, although the boy didn't notice the atmosphere.

"Would you ladies like anything else?"

"Oh no!"

"We're good." They both answered. Carl turned to leave, but came back. "Oh, silly me! I forgot the spoons." He looked down and fished for two spoons in which he gave to them.

"Thanks!"

"No problem!" Then left.

"So as I was saying-" Libby continued before she was, once more, interrupted by the large redhead.

"and napkins! Sorry!"

"It's alright. Bye Carl." He seemed hesitant as eh back away before smiling brightly and running away. The two girl's could only shrug at his behavior.

"Anyway, then he was like, 'you look cold. Let me put this 200 pund blanket over your face and watch you sleep.' Girl, it was so funny!" and Libby began laughing again as she ate her ice cream. Cindy was too busy eating and listening to this comedian Libby had discovered to noticed the side door of the building ring of new customers. She wouldn't have noticed them even longer as they stood right behind her and Libby's seats if it weren't for-

"I remember that dude! Man he was hilarious!" Sheen exclaimed form behind Libby, who chocked on her ice cream in surprise. Sadly, Sheen didn't get it yet. "Yeah, I has laughing my heart out too!"

"Sheen. I think she's choking." A new voice right next to Cindy said, making the other girl jump.

"Psh. Nonesense. Libbylicious would tell me when she's chocking, right sweety?" When she continued with the motion but began coughing, Sheen freaked out. "Oh man you are choking! Don't worry Libby, I'll save you!" he said in a heroic stance. Cindy, Jimmy and the rest of the occupants of the Candy Bar watched as Sheen noisily and quiet dramatically gave Libby the Heimlich.

"It's only ice cream, it'll melt."

"Shut up Jimmy! I'm too busy saving her life here, we can talk at a better time!" They all continued to watch as Libby tried to breathe against Sheen's 'heroism'.

"Sheen-I-can-breathe!" She gasped within each breathe of air she was allowed. He finally let her go to breathe normally. A grin came upon her hyperactive boyfriend's face.

"Libby, I just saved your life. Now you" he said, sticking a pointed index finger in her face, "owe me you're life!"

Smack.

"How about I give you a kiss instead?" She said as she kissed his now red cheek, making the red spread to the rest of his face. The two science geniuses cringed at the sight while others, like Carl, adored it.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Cindy said.

"For once, I agree with you Vortex." Jimmy replied.

"Is it okay if we join you two?" Sheen asked Libby, purposefully avoiding a searing glare. "We'll pay for our own food since it seems like you gals already ordered."

"Why can't you find your own table?" Cindy spat.

"You think we haven't tried that already?" Jimmy spat back, "This place is packed tighter than the molecules in a nuclear bomb." She looked around to see all of the tables and bench booths filled to the brink, some kids even sitting on each other's laps just to fit.

"Ughh! Fine! But Libby, can you sit on Sheen's lap?" Cindy asked angrily, "This booth is too small for the four of us." Libby didn't hesitate to sit on Sheen's lap and the boy didn't seem to mind as Cindy scooted over to make room for Jimmy. "Not that far, Neutron!" Cindy snapped and pushed him further away.

"What's the matter Vortex? You never had a problem with getting this close to me before." He tempted her.

"Who says it never bothered me before, idiot?" she responds, albeit weakly compared to his cockiness.

"Oh how funny it is when your flustered." Jimmy says with a smirk, catching Libby's attention at his closeness.

"Seriously dorktron! Get off of me!" she exclaims, which only caused Jimmy to press closer. Cindy looked around to find everyone watching them with hushed interest and mild shock at the young genius's advances. By now he was close enough to whisper in her ear, whisper so quiet that she could barely hear his words.

"What'cha gonna do about it? I'm starting to think you like my closeness." For a split second he rface is blank before it becomes blood beet read. She roughly shoves his out of the way, grabbed her ice cream bowl and sprinted out of the Candy Bar.

Well…she would have sprinted if her shoe laces weren't tied into an impossible knot.

Down she fell face first into her bowl of melted ice cream. Everything seemed to go in silent slow motion. A collective gasp reverberated throughout the shop as everyone- the customers, the staff- watch her go down. Cindy lifts her creamed face out of the bowl, only to be met by raucous laughter. Everyone pointing, laughing at her failure, but that didn't really break her. She could tell of all of them off for laughing at her, Cindy Vortex. But what broke her was him.

Jimmy Neutron was by far laughing the hardest out of all of them, misty eyed and doubled over in laughter. Carl gave a sad smile while Sheen couldn't laugh nay wilder as the shoe robot drove itself from underneath the table and joined in the fun, but Cindy only saw those blue eyes she had loved so much.

Before any more could happen, Cindy got up to try and run again, only to trip over her laces again and feed the fiery inferno of laughter.

"Cindy!" Libby yells as Cindy hoped her way out of the local hangout. Cindy ignores her friend's calls and continues hopping until she turns the corner into an alley. There he unties the shoe laces and wipes off her face. Cindy bent down to look at a pool and realizes she didn't even notice she was crying.

_"You just watch." _Echoes through her head as she looks at her reflection in the puddle.

"I shouldn't have been surprised." Cindy claims at the water. "I don't even know why I try."

"I don't know why either." A voice says behind her. Cindy turns around to face the speaker of the voice.

**I apologize if this chapter doesn't make sense. The computer won't let me double check it and add the necessary break indications. I hope some of you read it. Enjoyment is not qualified though, it's still a free country. You all should be smart enough to know who Helga was talking to…**


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